Kodagu-Native Writer and Literary Translator's Work Shortlisted for International Booker Prize

Bhasthi, known for her sharp cultural criticism and literary writing, has contributed to more than 40 international publications. Photo: deepabhasthi.com

BENGALURU: Deepa Bhasthi, a writer and translator from Kodagu, and author Banu Mushtaq have become the first Kannada-language duo to make the shortlist for the prestigious International Booker Prize under its new format. The shortlisted work, Heart Lamp: Selected Stories, marks Mushtaq’s debut in English and is Bhashthi’s third published translation.

The International Booker Prize now honours a single book translated into English and published in the UK or Ireland. Heart Lamp is a collection of short stories originally written by Mushtaq, brought into English by Bhasthi with critical acclaim.

Bhasthi, known for her sharp cultural criticism and literary writing, has contributed to more than 40 international publications, including The Paris Review, The Hindu, The Guardian and Himal Southasian. She has previously translated works by noted Kannada writers Kota Shivarama Karanth and Kodagina Gouramma.

Her translation of Heart Lamp also earned the EnglishPEN Award, further boosting the profile of Kannada literature on the global stage.

The recognition marks a milestone not only for the two women but also for Kannada literature, which has rarely found such spotlight in global literary circles.

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