01
Why it matters
It became the prize's first winning short-story collection and its first winner translated from Kannada.
A celebrated work
Heart Lamp
Banu Mushtaq2025 selection · Translated fiction
Heart Lamp
This collection gathers twelve stories written across decades about women in Muslim communities in southern India. Its characters confront domestic inequality, social judgment, faith, poverty, and the institutions that constrain their choices.
02
Read this if…
You want socially attentive short fiction with vivid voices and a strong sense of place.
03
Ideas inside
Women's livesCommunityPatriarchySouthern India
Get or borrow
Continue with this book.
Affiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission when you purchase through these links, at no extra cost to you. Editorial selections are independent.
Further reading
Read the critics
Independent reviews and criticism from established publications. Links open at the original outlet.
Primary record
Verify the selection
Every inclusion traces back to the organization that made the selection.
International Booker Prize — official winner recordOfficial record↗ (opens in a new tab)