India, May 21 -- It is a triumphant moment for Indian literature as Heart Lamp, a haunting and intimate collection of short stories by Banu Mushtaq, translated from Kannada by Deepa Bhasthi, won the International Booker Prize 2025. It is noteworthy that this is only the second time in five years that an Indian-language work has claimed the prestigious award, following Geetanjali Shree's Tomb of Sand, translated by Daisy Rockwell, which won in 2022. But Heart Lamp brings something entirely new: it is the first short story collection to win the prize - a resounding recognition of the form's power, and of the often-silenced stories of women from India's heartland.

Originally written in Kannada, Heart Lamp was selected and translated by Deep...