Speaker
Dr. Pratibha Ray
Jnanpith Award-Winning Odia Novelist
Dr. Pratibha Ray is an eminent Indian novelist, academic, and essayist writing primarily in Odia. One of India's most celebrated literary figures, she is renowned for novels that explore mythology, women's perspectives, tribal life, social justice, and human values, and received the Jnanpith Award, India's highest literary honour, in 2011.
Born on 21 January 1944 in Alabol, Jagatsinghpur district, Odisha, she earned an M.A. in Education and a PhD in Educational Psychology from Ravenshaw College, working as a professor and educationist while building an extraordinary literary career. Her first novel, Barsha Basanta Baishakha (1974), established her as a major voice in Odia literature. Her later acclaimed works include Yajnaseni, a retelling of the Mahabharata from Draupadi's perspective, along with Shilapadma, Mahamoha, and Adi Bhoomi. Her books have been translated into numerous Indian and international languages.