Banu Mushtaq’s Heart Lamp Shines Bright at the 2025 International Booker Prize

1. 2025 International Booker Prize Winner—Banu Mushtaq’s Heart Lamp (India, tr. Deepa Bhasthi)

Heart Lamp is a powerful collection of 12 short stories that delve into the everyday lives of Muslim women in southern India. The stories showcase their inner strength, deep-rooted cultural legacy, silent struggles and timeless traditions. Praised for its lyrical style and deep emotional insight, the book offers an intimate and bold portrayal of these often-overlooked voices, resonating universally with readers

Banu Mushtaq, aged 77, is a fearless literary voice from Karnataka and a key figure in the Bandaya Sahitya (Rebel Literature) movement. Her work addresses caste, gender and injustice head-on, breaking barriers and igniting change. Known for her activism, Mushtaq uses literature to inspire social reform.

2. Solvej Balle’s On the Calculation of Volume I (Denmark, tr. Barbara J. Haveland)

This philosophical novel follows Tara, who becomes trapped reliving the same day repeatedly. The story unfolds as a deep meditation on time, memory and existence, delivered in exquisite prose.

Solvej Balle is a Danish author and poet known for her lyrical and philosophical writing style. She often examines the depth of human feeling and metaphysical concepts, blending poetic language with deep existential questions.

3. Vincent Delecroix’s Small Boat (France, tr. Helen Stevenson)

This is a minimalist yet powerful novel that unveils the tragic human cost of a migrant crossing, revealing the moral weight of bureaucratic neglect and distant witness. It challenges readers to confront the urgent need for empathy amid systemic failure

Vincent Delecroix is a French philosopher and writer known for his profound explorations of ethics and human experience. His writings frequently combine philosophical wisdom with profound emotion, inviting deep reflection on life’s hardest questions.

4. Anne Serre’s A Leopard-Skin Hat (France, tr. Mark Hutchinson)

This novel presents a poignant and perceptive look at the complex friendship between the narrator and a childhood friend battling mental health issues. The gentle prose merges emotional openness with thoughtful reflection, illuminating the delicate nature of relationships.

Anne Serre is a French novelist and short story writer known for her sharp wit, subtle humour and poetic style. Her writing delves into human connections and mental health through graceful, perceptive language, establishing her as a unique presence in modern French literature.

5. Vincenzo Latronico’s Perfection (Italy, tr. Sophie Hughes)

This book offers a sharp and relatable look at millennial life, following a trendy couple in Berlin as they deal with love and the challenges of keeping up appearances online. It explores themes like self-deception, social media addiction and the search for true identity in a digital age.

This book offers a sharp and relatable look at millennial life, following a trendy couple in Berlin as they deal with love and the challenges of keeping up appearances online. It explores themes like self-deception, social media addiction and the search for true identity in a digital age.

6. Hiromi Kawakami's Under the Eye of the Big Bird (Japan, tr. Asa Yoneda)

This book is a speculative fiction novel set in a post-apocalyptic future where humanity is nearing extinction. It delves into themes of survival, love and evolution through a series of interconnected stories that span across geological epochs. The novel raises profound questions about identity and technology under the watchful guardianship of AI beings known as ‘Mothers’.

Hiromi Kawakami is a Japanese writer known for her offbeat fiction, poetry and literary criticism. Her works frequently examine emotional ambiguity and incorporate elements of magical realism.

This year’s International Booker Prize celebrates more than great literature—it appreciates voices that challenge, connect and inspire change. By honouring these voices, the prize underscores literature’s power to foster empathy and build a more inclusive, compassionate world.