Heart Lamp

In a dozen stories – written across three decades – Banu Mushtaq, a major voice within progressive Kannada literature – portrays the lives of those often on the periphery of society: girls and women in Muslim communities in southern India. These stories speak truth to power and slice through the fault lines of caste, class, and religion widespread in contemporary society, exposing the rot within: corruption, oppression, injustice, violence. Yet, at its heart, Heart Lamp returns us to the true, great pleasures of reading: solid storytelling, unforgettable characters, vivid dialogue, tensions simmering under the surface, and a surprise at each turn. Deceptively simple, these stories hold immense emotional, moral, and socio-political weight, urging us to dig deeper. 

Sayari Debnath, Scroll.in

‘In each story, Mushtaq builds the tension before it becomes unbearable for her characters and readers. The women are aware that there’s something missing in their lives, though they are not fully aware of the extent of their subjugation.’ 

Mahika Dhar, Asian Review of Books

‘The critical acclaim of Heart Lamp is deserved; Mushtaq is—and has been for decades—a writer with a noticeably powerful and profound voice. The potential recognition of her stories through the Bhasti’s translation of Heart Lamp will introduce her stories, already beloved in Kannada, to a wider and diversified audience. One only wishes the collection that earned her international fame was tighter and cleaner to accurately reflect Mushtaq’s talent.’

Shubhangi Shah, The Week

‘In fact, apart from everything else, what strikes the most is the vivid imagery Mushtaq creates throughout the book, which takes you deep into the women’s personal spaces. It reads as if one is inside the home, as a silent spectator, as events unfold.’

Areeb Ahmad, Words Without Borders

‘At the heart of Mushtaq’s narratives lie sustained struggles against patriarchy, distilled through the experiences of class, caste, and religion. The stories offer a sharp critique of orthodoxy, portraying how societal strictures and traditions circumscribe the lives of girls and women characters.’

Lucy Popescu, Financial Times  

‘Mushtaq’s compassion and dark humour give texture to her stories. These deceptively simple tales decry the subjugation of women while celebrating their resilience. Bhasthi’s nuanced translation retains several Kannada, Urdu and Arabic words, eloquently conveying the language’s enduring tradition of oral storytelling’ 

Kanika Sharma, Vogue India 

‘Though the International Booker Prize is not the first time Mushtaq’s work is up for celebration—’Kari Nagaragalu’, her story about a Muslim woman deserted by her husband, was adapted into a film in 2003 and earned the lead a National Film Award for Best Actress—recognition by a wider audience for this major literary voice is long overdue’. 

John Self, The Guardian 

‘The flexibility of the prize – it’s not just for novels – is exemplified in Banu Mushtaq’s collection of stories, Heart Lamp. This wonderful collection would be a worthy winner, though history is against it: stories have never taken the prize before’.

Banu Mushtaq:

‘My stories 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. The daily incidents reported in media and the personal experiences I have endured have been my inspiration. The pain, suffering, and helpless lives of these women create a deep emotional response within me, compelling me to write.’

Deepa Bhasthi:

‘For me, translation is an instinctive practice in many ways, and I have found that each book demands a completely different process. With Banu’s stories, I first read all the fiction she had published before I narrowed it down to the ones that are in Heart Lamp. I was lucky to have a free hand in choosing what stories I wanted to work with, and Banu did not interfere with the organised chaotic way I went about it.’

Read the full interview here.