Have a look at the bio, age and family of writer Deepa Bhasthi
Deepa Bhasthi is an Indian writer and literary translator from Kodagu, who recently made history by winning the International Booker Prize for her English translation of Heart Lamp.
Heart Lamp is a collection of short stories by Kannada author Banu Mushtaq, with whom she won the award together.
Who is writer Deepa Bhasthi, winner of Booker Prize 2025 for Heart Lamp, biography, age, husband, education and state
A landmark moment for Kannada literature. Congratulations to Banu Mushtaq on winning the International Booker Prize for Heart Lamp, the first Kannada work to ever receive this honour.
Gratitude to Deepa Bhasthi, whose masterful translation brought these twelve stories to a global… pic.twitter.com/q1vgBhvl2T— Mansoor Khan (@MansoorKhanINC) May 21, 2025
Deepa Bhasthi is not only the first Indian translator to win the prize, she's also the one who actually put the book together from a wide range of Banu Mushtaq's stories. 'Heart Lamp': written by a woman, translated by a woman, edited by a woman. https://t.co/wM7Do5pzcZ
— Arunava Sinha (@arunava) May 21, 2025
Bhasthi’s victory marks a major moment for Kannada literature on the global stage besides highlighting the vital role of literary translators.
Deepa Bhasthi wins International Booker Prize 2025
Deepa Bhasthi recently became the first Indian translator to win the International Booker Prize. She also became the first to do so for a short story collection. Deepa won the award for her work – Heart Lamp, which features 12 powerful narratives of Muslim women navigating patriarchal constraints in southern India. The judges of the Booker Prize notably praised her work as a “radical translation” that brought new textures and perspectives into English literature. Deepa won the £50,000 prize, shared equally with Banu Mushtaq at the Tate Modern in London.
Deepa Bhasthi bio and age
Deepa Bhasthi is a Kannada writer and literary translator who was born in the 1980s in Madikeri, Karnataka. Bhasthi, who is now in her early 40s, grew up surrounded by the cultural and linguistic diversity of southern India. She has seemingly built a reputation for having a sharp literary mind and being a strong advocate for regional language literature.
Deepa Bhasthi is a writer and literary translator based in Kodagu, southern India and her columns, essays and cultural criticism have been published in India and internationally.
Education
Deepa Bhasthi completed her early schooling at Kodagu Vidyalaya before pursuing a degree in Mass Communication in Mangaluru.
Husband and children
Deepa Bhasthi is married to her husband, Sujan Nanaiah, who is an artist-turned-farmer. The couple first met each other at an art exhibition in Bengaluru and have been inseparable ever since. Deepa and Sujan currently live together in Kodagu and maintain a low profile.
We are so proud of them. Deepa Bhasthi and Banu Mushtaq, winners of this year’s International Booker Prize. 🎉 pic.twitter.com/E4l3xn6Dor
— And Other Stories (@andothertweets) May 20, 2025
Writing career and achievements
Deepa Bhasthi started her writing career in Bengaluru’s print media scene before shifting to full-time freelance writing and translation. Aside from translation, Deepa Bhasthi is a prolific essayist and cultural critic. She has had several columns and features appear in major Indian and international publications. Bhasthi mainly writes on rural life, identity politics, language, and art. Before her work on Heart Lamp, Bhasthi had already established herself as a serious translator, having translated a novel by Jnanpith Award-winner Kota Shivarama Karanth. She also translated a collection of stories by Kodagina Gouramma.
Moreover, her translation of Heart Lamp won the English PEN’s PEN Translates Award before winning the International Booker prize 2025. Notably, the Booker jury called Bhasthi’s translation “beautiful, busy, and life-affirming.” They also applauded her ability to retain the cadence and socio-political nuance of Kannada while expanding its emotional reach in English.
Deepa Bhasthi has an Instagram account with the handle @deepabhasthi, where she has over 2K followers and 290 posts.
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