Banu Mushtaq’s Heart Lamp: Winner of the 2025 International Booker

In the fourth episode of Season 5 of Books, Baby!, Ian, Bev & Alo are joined by returning guest host Simone (⁠⁠@sims_solace) discuss Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq, the winner of the 2025 International Booker Prize. This marks the first time a short story collection has taken home the award, and we dive into what makes it so powerful. We explore Mushtaq’s unforgettable characters and how her spoken-style prose builds such disconcerting emotional heights.Books mentioned in this episode:​​Reservoir Bitches - Dahlia de la Cerda​​Under the Eye of the Big Bird - Hiromi Kawakami​​Perfection - Vicenzo Latronico​​Hunchback - Saou Ichikawa​On the Calculation of Volume 1 - Solvej Balle​We do not part - Han Kang​A Tail for the Time Being - Ruth Ozeki​All the Violent Tiaras: Queering the Greek Myths - Jean Manzies​The Hours - Michael Cunningham​Before Night Falls - Reinaldo ArenasConnect with us via email (⁠[email protected]⁠) and on Instagram!Books, Baby! – ⁠⁠⁠⁠@booksbabypod⁠⁠⁠⁠Hosts:Ian – ⁠⁠⁠⁠@bookish_ian⁠⁠⁠⁠Bev – ⁠⁠⁠⁠@booksgonewilde⁠⁠⁠⁠Alo – ⁠⁠⁠⁠@books.swallows.universe⁠⁠Guest Host:Simone – ⁠⁠⁠@sims_solace