English 
Bengali 
Some people are the true inspirations for their successive generations beyond age, race, community and all the man-made boundaries. For the year 2025, the International Booker Prize for the category of translation fiction, the Indian writer and a lawyer Banu Mushtaq along with her translator Deepa Bhasthi was awarded.
Who is Banu Mushtaq?
Banu Mustaq, is born in Hassan which is located in the Indian state Karnataka into a Muslim family and her nerves of creativity began to flourish in her early days. And she began to write in her mother language Kannada, her love for narrating the stories to her readers through her profound words continued all these years. She is not only a writer but also worked as a reporter, and an active lawyer & activist. She mastered herself in various languages which includes Kannada, Hindi, Dakhni Urdu and English.
She is an icon for the people who are striving for their passion with dedication and consistency. More than recognition and awards, Banu Mushtaq continues to do what she likes without a second thought. This reflects her undying conviction as a writer, lawyer and as an activist.
International Recognition
In 2025, Banu Mushtaq’s short story collections, the stories that were published from 1990 to 2023 from which twelve stories were selected by the translator Deepa Bhasthi. And she translated all of them into English without shedding off the rooted emotions and core elements of the stories. All the short stories are themed around the lives of Muslim and Dalit women in the southern part of India. She had explored their world that showcases the key themes like patriarchy, religious oppression, societal injustices and caste dynamics.
Such translations into English will help the world women who are living or lived in India to travel globally through literature. Acclaimed writer Banu’s “Heart Lamp” has achieved some unique milestone after winning the 2025 International Booker Prize, they are
- The first book which was originally published in Kannada to receive this award.
- First short story collection and the first Indian translator to be accoladed with this International Booker Prize.
Both the author and the translator will equally share the prize amount of £50,000.
Other Accolades won by Banu Mushtaq
| Name of the Award | Year |
| Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award | 1999 |
| Daana Chintamani Attimabbe Award | NA |
| PEN English Translate Award [for Deepa Bhasthi’s translation of ‘Haseena and other stories’] | 2024 |
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