A Milestone for Kannada Literature: International Booker 2025
Indian Laureates of the Booker and International Booker Prize: In a historic achievement for Indian regional literature, Banu Mushtaq’s short story anthology “Heart Lamp”, translated into English by Deepa Bhasthi, secured the 2025 International Booker Prize. This marks the first time a Kannada-language work has won this globally esteemed award, bringing long-overdue attention to vernacular Indian narratives and their cultural richness. The stories explore themes of female resistance and social inequality, rooted in the spirit of the Bandaya Sahitya movement that transformed Kannada literature in the 1970s by challenging caste and gender hierarchies.
About the International Booker Prize
Presented by the Booker Prize Foundation (UK), the International Booker Prize celebrates the best works of fiction in translation published in the UK or Ireland. Both novels and short story collections are eligible. The winning author and translator equally share a cash prize of £50,000, while £2,500 is awarded to each shortlisted author-translator team. This initiative not only highlights literary excellence but also honours the crucial role of translators in bridging linguistic and cultural gaps.
Indian Writers Who Won Booker & International Booker
India has a proud legacy at both the Booker Prize and International Booker Prize, with works in English and Indian languages earning global recognition. While English-language authors like V.S. Naipaul, Arundhati Roy, and Aravind Adiga have made their mark since the 1970s, the last two decades have seen an increase in recognition of translated Indian literature, beginning with Geetanjali Shree’s Tomb of Sand in 2022 and now Heart Lamp in 2025.
The Rise of Regional Voices in Global Literature
The victory of Heart Lamp reflects a growing global appreciation for India’s regional literary traditions. With its roots in the Bandaya movement, the work underscores the power of literature as resistance—especially from marginalised communities and women writers. This win not only honours Banu Mushtaq and Deepa Bhasthi but also opens doors for other regional Indian languages to be heard on the world stage.
Static GK Snapshot
Year | Author / Translator | Work | Language | Prize Type |
1971 | V.S. Naipaul | In a Free State | English | Booker Prize |
1981 | Salman Rushdie | Midnight’s Children | English | Booker Prize |
1997 | Arundhati Roy | The God of Small Things | English | Booker Prize |
2006 | Kiran Desai | The Inheritance of Loss | English | Booker Prize |
2008 | Aravind Adiga | The White Tiger | English | Booker Prize |
2022 | Geetanjali Shree / Daisy Rockwell | Tomb of Sand | Hindi | International Booker |
2025 | Banu Mushtaq / Deepa Bhasthi | Heart Lamp | Kannada | International Booker |