Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq, translated by Deepa Bhasthi | Review | International Booker Prize 2025

Bookies' Favourite · May 19, 2025 · 1h 1m · transcript

In this final instalment of our International Booker Prize 2025 shortlist read-through, we’re diving into Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq, translated from Kannada by Deepa Bhasthi and published by And Other Stories.

A powerful collection of short stories that explore gender, class, and quiet resistance, Heart Lamp left us with a lot to reflect on—and no shortage of opinions. We also hear the thoughtful response of guest @sazloureads on Instagram, whose take adds another layer to our discussion.

This is the last book on the shortlist—but we’re not done yet...

📢 Coming up tomorrow:

We’ll be…