Who Is Deepa Bhasthi? First Indian Translator To Win Booker Prize

Deepa Bhasthi's translation of Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq is no simplistic interpretation of words. It is rather a political and poetic reclamation of identities. In rendering the Kannada-language short stories into English, she bridges not just linguistic divides but also cultural and historical barriers. Mushtaq and Bhasthi won the International Booker Prize for Heart Lamp on May 20, marking a significant milestone for Indian literature, particularly vernacular works, at the global stage. It is the first Kannada book to win this prize.

The book is a collection of 12 fiction stories that trace the lives, culture, and resilience of Muslim and Dalit communities in southern India. The stories are intimate, often unsettling, and reflect the inner landscape of women navigating faith, family, and self in a patriarchal system. Bhasthi's translation invites space for accessibility, while continuing to retain the depth and resonance of Mushtaq's writing.

Who is Deepa Bhasthi?

Deepa Bhasthi has received high praise for her translation of Heart Lamp. The International Booker Prize jury commended her saying, "The tight-gauged texture of the intricate translation creates a most invigorating reading experience, rare nowadays in English-language fiction.” Bhasti is the first Indian translator to win the prize.

Bhasthi is a translator, children's writer, and book reviewer from Kodagu, Karnataka. She has worked on translations for many acclaimed writers, including Kota Shivarama Karanth, Kodagina Gouramma, etc. She is the winner of 2024 PEN English Translate Award for Banu Mushtaq's Haseena and Other Stories.

Bhasthi is the writer of books like Champi and the Fig Tree (known as Anjoor Anjoor Yaar Anjoor in Kannada), a children's story about a little girl alled Champi and her love for figs. The book is set to be published soon. She has also written columns for publications like Scroll, The Guardian, Himal Southasian, The Paris Review, etc.

Speaking to Scroll, Bhasti shared, "There is so little Kannada literature that gets translated at all into English. I am particularly interested in the works of Kannada authors from the mid to late 20th century, which is when there was a lot of churning happening in Kannada culture and society, and I hope my next projects reflect this."

Bhasthi further shared that her aim as a translator is not to oversimplify and sanitise the authenticity of the original, but to introduce the reader to its cultural nuance. With several words retained from the original stories, Heart Lamp has a "very deliberate Kannada hum to it," she told the outlet. "I call it translating with an accent."