Deepa Bhasthi

Deepa Bhasthi is a writer and literary translator based in Kodagu, southern India

Bhasthi’s columns, essays and cultural criticism have been published in India and internationally. Her published translations from Kannada include a novel by Kota Shivarama Karanth and a collection of short stories by Kodagina Gouramma. Her translation of Banu Mushtaq’s stories was a winner of English PEN’s PEN Translates award and, collected as Heart Lamp, was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2025.

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Exploring the lives of those often on the periphery of society, these vivid stories hold immense emotional and moral weight

— The 2025 judges on Heart Lamp

Read more on Heart Lamp

An extract from Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq, translated by Deepa Bhasthi

In 12 stories, Banu Mushtaq exquisitely captures the everyday lives of women and girls in Muslim communities in southern India

Image of Heart Lamp book cover, author and translator

An interview with Banu Mushtaq and Deepa Bhasthi, author and translator of Heart Lamp

With Heart Lamp shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2025, we spoke to its author and translator about the inspirations behind the book, and why translation is an instinctive practice

Reading guide: Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq, translated by Deepa Bhasthi

Whether you’re new to Heart Lamp or have read it and would like to explore it more deeply, here is our comprehensive guide, featuring insights from critics, our judges and the book’s author and translator, as well as discussion points and suggestions for further reading.