Hyderabad, May 24 -- Multi-talented Kannada writer, lawyer, and social activist, 77-year-old Banu Mushtaq, has pulled off an incredible feat by lifting the prestigious International Booker Prize for her collection of twelve short stories in a book titled Heart Lamp. Credit should also go to Deepa Bhasthi who translated the stories from Kannada to English.

According to some literary experts, the International Booker Prize is fast becoming a significant rival to the Nobel Prize. It is an award that is hosted in the UK. The introduction of the International Booker Prize to complement the Man Booker Prize (which is another award) was initiated in June 2004.

For the author Banu Mushtaq, who does not hesitate to describe herself as an anti-es...