Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq’s ‘Heart Lamp’ is a stirring depiction of Muslim women’s plight

Banu Mushtaq, a writer, lawyer, and women's rights activist, was awarded the International Booker Prize for her short story collection Heart Lamp on Tuesday at an event held at London’s Tate Modern. She is the first author from Karnataka to win this prestigious award.

Mushtaq also became the first author to receive the award for short stories.

Heart Lamp, a collection of 12 short stories published over three decades, is the stirring portrayal of the pain and suffering of Muslim women, particularly in South India—the women who are suppressed and dismissed, as religious responsibilities present them with a tough life to live and survive.

During a short reading event held on Sunday, Mushtaq gave a rough idea of what to expect from her stories. “(They) are about women—how religion, society and politics demand unquestioning obedience from them, and in doing so, inflict inhumane cruelty upon them, turning them into mere subordinates.”

Mushtaq’s award is also a recognition for Deepa Bhasti, the translator who helped the short stories reach the heights they deserved. The prize money of 50,000 pounds will be equally shared between the two.

The award was presented by Max Porter, a best-selling author and one of the five members of the selection panel that decides the winner from the final nominees.

Upon receiving the award, the author expressed her heartfelt emotions in the way she knows best—through words. “This feels like a thousand fireflies lighting a single sky—brief, brilliant and utterly collective,” said Mushtaq.

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