India, March 17 -- You have been writing and publishing Kannada short stories for over three decades but much of the world has woken up and discovered your work only after Heart Lamp was longlisted for the International Booker Prize. How do you feel about this?

It feels wonderful. I love the recognition that my work is getting now. An author can write for decades but, until an expert - or a group of experts - says that it is like gold or a diamond, it remains unknown. Being longlisted for the International Booker Prize is like getting a big certification. Of course, I have got recognition in the state of Karnataka in the past, especially for writing about issues of social justice and highlighting the situation of the downtrodden and the ...