Ketaki Bana

On her award winning short story collection “Ullanghan”

Ullanghan, the award-winning collection of 21 short stories, is noted for the deft handling of human frailties with compassion and a unique world-view. The author has succeeded in maintaining a fine balance between the literary and the colloquial. Her observations on human nature, on moments of man’s transgression of moral limits, are poignantly put down in an effective blend of detachment and empathy. The work is considered a worthy contribution to Indian short fiction in Odia.
– Sahitya Akademi Award Citation, 2000

Among the contemporary fiction writers from Odisha, Pratibha Ray is the best known voice. She is one of the major fiction writers in India. Ray excels in the leisurely unfolding of the drama and human emotions in her short stories and novels… The focus of attention in the bulk of these realistic works is not on the ‘happening’ though there is the inevitable tour de force in many novels especially in short stories, as in the best of Chekhov or O ‘Henry.
– Sachidananda Mohanty, Academic and critic.

 

Pratibha Ray, Ph.D. formerly Professor in Education and Member, Public Service Commission, Odisha, is one of the leading fiction writers in India. She writes in Odia language. Her thrust being psychosocial analysis, Pratibha grapples with issues of contemporary relevance, dealing with a variety of subject matters. She tries to bring different levels of perception into one structure. Ray’s work is unsparing in its indictments of social evils, injustice and corruption in narrow lanes of power and politics. Among numerous state, national and international awards, she is the recipient of (1) Odisha Sahitya Akademi Award for her novel Shilapadma (on Konark temple), (2) Moorti Devi Award (1991) by Bharatiya Jnanapith Trust for her novel Jajnaseni (she is the only woman writer in India to receive this award till date), (3) Sahitya Akademi Award (2000), (4) Padma Shree (2007) high civilian award for her contribution to the field of Indian Literature and Education, (5) The highest literary award of India Bharatiya Jnanpith Award (2011), (6) Katha Prize, Delhi for best story writing, Delhi 1994 & 1999, (7) Outstanding Odia literary award from Odisha Society of Americas, USA, and Canada, 1995. Felicitated in Canada 2005, (8) Kalinga Ratna Title, 2014 (9) Honorary D.Lit. by Utkal University of Culture, 2011 and Ravenshaw University, Cuttack 2014. She has published 23 novels, 28 short story collections, 10 travelogues on different countries, 10 books for children, 10 books for Neo-literates, 1 essay collections, 1 biography in English, 1 book of lyrics and 2 poetry collections, 1 compilation of tribal myths (about five primitive tribes of Odisha). Her autobiography Life on Lotus Leaf is highly acclaimed. Her short stories and novels are made into films and national tele-serials. Noted Indian actress and danseuse Hema Malini has danced the Novel Jajnaseni in the Stage Ballet. She has visited 40 countries on speaking tours. Her writings have been translated into various Indian languages, English and several foreign languages. She is the Founder Chairman of two National literary organization, ‘Bhashayan’ and ‘Pratibha Ray Foundation Trust’ to promote all languages and literature.