Winner of the 2025 International Booker Prize

Winner of a PEN Translates Award

Banu Mushtaq, celebrated lawyer, fierce activist, and winner of India's highest literary honors, delivers her first English collection, Heart Lamp.

In twelve unforgettable stories, Mushtaq pulls back the curtain on the everyday lives of women and girls in Southern Indian Muslim communities. These portraits, originally published in Kannada, are renowned for their vivid, witty, and unflinching style. Mushtaq’s characters, from audacious grandmothers and sparky children to beleaguered mothers and buffoonish oppressors, navigate family tensions and social restrictions with a potent mix of dry humor and emotional fire.

Drawing on her decades fighting for women's rights and against caste oppression, Mushtaq’s work is a powerful testament to survival.

A monumental collection that has earned both prestigious awards and furious censorship. Read the stories that dare to challenge the status quo.