Pratibha Ray

Pratibha Ray Biography

Pratibha Ray is a Jnanpith Award winning writer of Orissa. She got this highest literal prize of literature in the year 2011. She is an eminent fiction writer in contemporary India and her works mostly belong to novels and short stories. Her first novel Barsha Basanta Baishakha (1974) was a best seller and her best works are Sheelapadma, Yajnaseni and Ullaghna. She was the first woman to win the Moortidevi Award in 1991. She wrote on subjects including caste and sex discrimination and hence often framed as a feminist by critics. She actively participated in social reforms as well as caste discrimination in temples and public places.

She was born on 21 January 1943, at Alabol, a remote village in the Balikuda area of Jagatsinghpur district, Orissa. She started her professional career as a school teacher and later worked in many colleges as professor. Later she took voluntary retirement and joined as Member of Public Service Commission of Orissa. Her first novel Barsha Basanta Baishakha was published in the year 1974. A few of her best novels include – Ashabari, Aranya, Magnamati, Mahamoh, Meghamedura, Adibhoomi, Nishidha Prithivi, Parichya, Ayamarambha, Nilatrishna, Aparichita, Punyatoya, Samudrara Swara, Uttarmarg and Yajnaseni. Many of her works have been translated to other Indian languages and English.

She has also written 3 travelogues - Maitri Padapara Shakha Prashakha (USSR), 1990, Dura Dwividha (UK, France), 1999 and Aparadhira Sweda (Australia), 2000. A few of her short stories are Samanya Kathana, Haripatra, Itibut, Chandrabhaga O Chandrakala, Moksha, Shrestha Galpa, Gangashiuli, Asamapta, Aikatana, Jhoti-paka-Kantha and Anabana. She received her first award in the year 1985 for the book, Sheelapadma (Orissa Sahitya Academi Award). Later she received many awards of which, Sarala Award' (1990) and 'Moortidevi Award (1991) for her novel 'Yajnaseni', Sahitya Akademi Award for her Short-Story Collection 'Ullaghna’ in 2000 and 'Amrita Keerti Puraskar in 2006 need special mention. She also received 'Padma Shri Award' in Literature and Education by the Government of India in the year 2007.

Published: N/A

Updated: November 20, 2013