In a historic moment for Indian literature, Deepa Bhasthi, a writer and translator from Kodagu, Karnataka, has etched her name in literary history as the first Indian translator to win the International Booker Prize. On May 20, 2025, Bhasthi, alongside author Banu Mushtaq, was awarded the prestigious £50,000 prize for their work on Heart Lamp, a collection of 12 short stories originally written in Kannada. This victory, celebrated at a ceremony in London’s Tate Modern, marks the first time a Kannada-language work and a short story collection have claimed the International Booker, shining a global spotlight on the richness of Karnataka’s literary tradition. Bhasthi’s journey—from a journalist navigating the fast-paced world of newsrooms to a literary translator championing regional voices—offers an inspiring narrative of passion, resilience, and the transformative power of storytelling.
Early Life and Roots in Kodagu
Deepa Bhasthi’s story begins in the lush, misty hills of Kodagu, a region known for its coffee plantations and vibrant cultural heritage. Born to B.N. Prakash and Sudha, Bhasthi grew up in a household where stories were a way of life. Her grandmother’s tales, shared during quiet evenings, sparked an early love for narrative, while her late paternal grandfather, the noted physician Dr. Nanjundeshwara, left a legacy of intellectual curiosity that influenced her path. “Little Deepa grew up listening to her grandmother’s stories,” her mother, Sudhamani, recalled, reflecting on the roots of Bhasthi’s literary passion. This connection to oral storytelling, a hallmark of Kodagu’s cultural fabric, would later inform her approach to translation, where she sought to preserve the rhythm and authenticity of Kannada narratives.
Bhasthi’s academic journey was eclectic, reflecting her multifaceted interests. After completing her early schooling in Chennai and her SSLC at Kodagu Vidyalaya, she initially pursued science at the pre-university level. However, her curiosity led her to switch to commerce, earning a B.Com degree from Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa College. Her foray into journalism came through postgraduate studies at Mangalore University, setting the stage for a career that would blend storytelling with social observation.
A Career in Journalism
Bhasthi’s early career was rooted in the dynamic world of journalism. She worked with several newspapers, including a stint at The New Indian Express, where she honed her skills in reporting and cultural criticism. Her work appeared in over 40 national and international publications, covering topics from social issues to art and culture. Journalism offered her a window into the diverse experiences of Karnataka’s people, from the bustling streets of Bengaluru to the rural landscapes of Kodagu. Yet, despite her success, Bhasthi felt a growing pull toward literature—a medium that allowed deeper exploration of human emotions and cultural nuances.
The transition from journalism to literary translation was not abrupt but rather a natural evolution. “Journalism gave me the tools to observe and articulate, but literature allowed me to delve into the soul of stories,” Bhasthi said in an interview. Her decision to leave the newsroom was driven by a desire to engage with narratives that carried the weight of cultural and emotional truth, particularly those rooted in Kannada, her mother tongue. This shift marked the beginning of her journey as a translator, a role she describes as “carrying an entire culture across” borders.
The Making of Heart Lamp
Heart Lamp, originally titled Hridaya Deepa in Kannada, is a collection of 12 short stories by Banu Mushtaq, a 77-year-old writer, lawyer, and women’s rights activist from Hassan, Karnataka. Written between 1990 and 2023, the stories delve into the lives of Muslim women and girls in southern India, capturing their resilience, humor, and resistance against patriarchal and societal constraints. Mushtaq, a prominent voice in the Kannada Bandaya (rebel) literary movement, which critiques caste and class oppression, brought a fiery yet compassionate perspective to her narratives. Her work, steeped in the oral storytelling traditions of Karnataka, resonated deeply with Bhasthi, who saw in it an opportunity to amplify marginalized voices on a global stage.
Bhasthi’s role in Heart Lamp was not just that of a translator but also a curator. She sifted through around 50 stories from Mushtaq’s six collections, selecting 12 that best captured the author’s vision. “I first read all the fiction she had published before I narrowed it down to the ones that are in Heart Lamp,” Bhasthi explained. Her approach was meticulous yet instinctive, driven by a commitment to preserve the “Kannada hum” of Mushtaq’s prose. She deliberately retained Urdu and Arabic words, such as “thu” (an expression of disgust) and “one-two things” (a common Indianism), to maintain the cultural texture of the original. “I call it translating with an accent,” she told Scroll.in, emphasizing her goal of introducing readers to a new linguistic world without exoticizing it.
To immerse herself in the cultural context of Mushtaq’s stories, which center on Muslim communities, Bhasthi engaged deeply with Urdu music, Pakistani television dramas, and even took classes to learn the Urdu script. “I was very conscious of the fact that I knew very little about the community she places her stories in,” she said. This dedication to understanding the socio-cultural nuances of the narratives ensured that her translation retained the authenticity and emotional depth of Mushtaq’s voice.
A Historic Win for Kannada Literature
The International Booker Prize win on May 20, 2025, was a landmark achievement. Heart Lamp became the first Kannada work and the first short story collection to claim the prize, joining the ranks of Geetanjali Shree’s Tomb of Sand (Hindi, 2022) as only the second Indian-language work to receive this honor. The £50,000 prize, shared equally between Mushtaq and Bhasthi, was awarded at a ceremony in London’s Tate Modern, where Max Porter, chair of the 2025 judging panel, praised Bhasthi’s “radical translation” for creating “new textures in a plurality of Englishes.” He described the stories as “beautiful, busy, life-affirming,” noting their ability to “slice through the fault lines of caste, class, and religion” while celebrating women’s resilience.
Bhasthi’s translation was lauded for its political and poetic reclamation of identities, bridging linguistic and cultural divides. “The story of the world is a history of erasures—often characterized by the effacement of women’s triumphs and their stories,” she said at the ceremony, giving a shout-out to translators and Kannada literature. Her approach, which avoided sanitizing the text for Western readers, challenged conventional notions of translation. As Porter noted, “It challenges and expands our understanding of translation,” offering English readers a fresh and textured experience.
The win was celebrated across India, particularly in Karnataka. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah hailed it as a moment to “celebrate Kannada, Kannadigas, and Karnataka,” while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called it a “historic moment” for Kannada literature. Literary figures like Geetanjali Shree and Vivek Shanbhag praised the duo for elevating Indian regional literature globally. “This is a moment of great pride for not just all Kannada-speakers but all Indians,” Shanbhag said, emphasizing the universal humanism in Mushtaq’s stories.
The Significance of Heart Lamp
Heart Lamp is a testament to the power of regional literature to address universal themes. Mushtaq’s stories, drawn from her experiences as a journalist and lawyer, explore the lives of women navigating faith, family, and societal expectations. Her work, rooted in the Bandaya movement’s critique of social injustices, expands its scope to focus on gender and religious conservatism. Stories like “Kari Nagaragalu,” adapted into a 2003 film that earned a National Film Award, highlight her ability to weave compassion and dark humor into narratives of resistance.
Bhasthi’s translation amplifies these themes, making them accessible to a global audience while retaining their cultural specificity. Her decision to preserve Kannada idioms and multilingual elements reflects a broader mission to challenge the dominance of standardized English in global literature. “Good translation should make English richer, not erase cultural nuance,” she said at a Bengaluru event. This approach resonated with readers and critics alike, with The Guardian’s John Self calling Heart Lamp a “wonderful collection” with a consistent vision that varies from “quiet to comic.”
Beyond Heart Lamp: Bhasthi’s Literary Contributions
Bhasthi’s work extends beyond Heart Lamp. Her previous translations include Kota Shivarama Karanth’s novel The Same Village, The Same Tree and Kodagina Gouramma’s short story collection Fate’s Game and Other Stories. She is also a fiction writer, children’s author, and book reviewer, with her recent children’s book Champi and the Fig Tree published by Pratham Books. Her essays and cultural criticism, published in outlets like The Paris Review, reflect her ability to bridge local and global perspectives.
Her translation of Heart Lamp earned the 2024 PEN Translates award, a precursor to the Booker win, underscoring her growing influence in literary circles. Bhasthi’s commitment to women’s voices is evident in her choice of projects. “I find myself gravitating towards women’s writing, as it often resonates more closely with my own experiences,” she told Eastern Eye. This focus aligns with her broader goal of amplifying stories from marginalized communities, particularly those in regional languages.
The Impact of the Booker Win
The International Booker Prize win has far-reaching implications for Kannada and Indian regional literature. As only the second Kannada work recognized by Booker institutions—following U.R. Ananthamurthy’s 2013 nomination—it underscores the untapped potential of India’s linguistic diversity. Bhasthi hopes the win will spark greater interest in translating South Asian languages, noting, “There are incredible stories in all our Indian and South Asian languages. That richness needs to be shared.”
The win also highlights the crucial role of translators in global literature. As Srinath Perur, who translated Vivek Shanbhag’s Kannada novels, noted, “Translations challenge the English-language reader, and that’s a good thing.” Bhasthi’s work, which curated the Heart Lamp collection and shaped its architecture, exemplifies this role. Her “radical translation” not only brought Mushtaq’s stories to the world but also redefined how regional narratives can resonate globally.
Personal Reflections and Future Aspirations
For Bhasthi, the Booker win was both unexpected and transformative. “I was just about to have soup for dinner when I got the call,” she recalled at a Bengaluru event, laughing about celebrating with biryani instead. Her humility belies the magnitude of her achievement, which she sees as a collective triumph for Kannada literature. Married to C.R. Nanayya, Bhasthi continues to live in Madikeri, where she finds creative peace amidst Kodagu’s serene landscapes. Her favorite authors, including O.V. Vijayan and Kaveri Nambisan, inspire her to explore the intersections of language, culture, and identity.
Looking ahead, Bhasthi remains committed to translation as a means of cultural exchange. “When you’re translating a work, you’re translating something that already exists. It’s about using the tool of language in whatever ways are available,” she told Eastern Eye. Her work on Heart Lamp has opened doors for Kannada literature, and she hopes it will inspire publishers to invest in translations from other Indian languages.
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