Indian author Banu Mushtaq wins International Booker Prize with short story collection

Indian Author Banu Mushtaq and Translator Deepa Bhasthi Win International Booker Prize for Fiction
Indian author Banu Mushtaq and translator Deepa Bhasthi have been awarded the prestigious International Booker Prize for fiction for their remarkable work, Heart Lamp. This collection of 12 short stories, written over a span of more than 30 years, offers a poignant portrayal of the everyday lives and struggles of women in southern India.
The announcement of the award was made by Max Porter, a bestselling Booker Prize-longlisted author and the chair of the five-member voting panel, during a ceremony held at London’s Tate Modern.
The International Booker Prize, which celebrates the finest works of fiction from around the globe that have been translated into English and published in the U.K. or Ireland, comes with a grand prize of £50,000, which is split equally between the writer and translator. Unfortunately, no Canadians were nominated for the award this year.
Established to elevate the visibility of fiction in other languages, the International Booker Prize also aims to acknowledge the often-overlooked contributions of literary translators.
This year’s win marks the first time that the International Booker Prize has been bestowed upon a collection of short stories. Deepa Bhasthi is the first Indian translator, and the ninth female translator overall, to receive the prize since its reformatting in 2016. Banu Mushtaq is the sixth female author to be honored with the award during the same period.
Written in Kannada, a language spoken by approximately 65 million individuals, primarily in southern India, Porter commended the “radical” nature of the translation, noting the evolving appreciation of the stories by the jury members.
“These beautiful, busy, life-affirming stories emerge from Kannada, infused with the extraordinary socio-political depth of other languages and dialects,” stated Porter. “They delve into women’s lives, addressing topics such as reproductive rights, faith, caste, power, and oppression.”
The winning book triumphed over five other finalists and features stories penned between 1990 and 2023. Curated by Bhasthi, the collection aims to preserve the multilingual essence of southern India through its translation.
Mushtaq, who is not only a writer but also a lawyer and activist, expressed during a recent reading event that the stories in Heart Lamp “explore the ways in which religion, society, and politics demand unquestioning obedience from women, subjecting them to inhumane cruelty and reducing them to mere subordinates.”
Both Mushtaq and Bhasthi will receive equal shares of the prize money, along with a trophy in recognition of their outstanding achievement.
Last year’s recipient of the International Booker Prize was German author Jenny Erpenbeck for Kairos, a narrative centered around a complex love affair during the final years of East Germany’s existence, translated by Michael Hofmann.
Source: CBC Books