Oriya Novelist and Academician Pratibha Ray selected for 2011 Jnanpith Award

Renowned Oriya novelist, Pratibha Ray on 27 December 2012 selected for the prestigious Jnanpith award for the year 2011 for her contribution to the field of Indian literature. 

Pratibha Ray is the first Oriya woman and fourth Oriya writer to get the coveted award. Earlier Gopinath Mohanty (1973), Sachidananda Routray (1986) and Sitakant Mohapatra (1993) were conferred the honour. The award carries a cash prize of 7 lakh rupees, a citation and a bronze statuette of Godess Saraswati. 

A Brief Insight into Pratibha Ray’s Career

• Pratibha Ray was born in Alabol, a village in Jagatsingpur district of Odisha.

• Ray's literary journey started at nine, she received recognition as a writer with her first novel Barsa Basanta Baishakha in 1974 followed by Aranya, 1977, Nishidha Prithivi, 1978, Parichya, 1979, Aparichita, 1979 (a film was made and won Best Film-Story award from the state government),Punyatoya, 1979, Meghamedura, 1980, Ashabari, 1980,Ayamarambha, 1981, Nilatrishna, 1981, Samudrara Swara, 1982.

• Ray's Shilapadma in 1983 won her the Orissa Sahitya Academy Award, 1985, while Yajnaseni (1984) got her the Moorti Devi Award in 1991 and Sarala Award in 1990.

• Ray has 20 novels, 24 short stories, 10 travelogues, two poetry collections and a number of essays to her credit.

•  Ray's writings have been translated into English, other foreign languages as also a number of other Indian languages.

• Other renowned works of the eminent writer include Yjnaseni (1985), which won Jnanpith Trust's Moorti Devi Award in 1991, Mahamoh (1997), Shilapadma (1983), Uttarmarg (1988), Magnamari (2003), among others. 

She described Odisha's first Jnanpith awardee (1973) Gopinath Mohanty as her role model and favourite among Oriya novelists.

Pratibha Ray is one of the most widely read Oriya novelists and short story writers. Her novels and stories are deeply and persuasively grounded in the great tradition of story-telling.