Pratibha Ray, a leading Oriya novelist and academician, who was on Thursday named for the prestigious Jnanpith Award for the year 2011, said she was extremely happy to get the honour and stated that it would inspire here to come out with many more creations.
“I’m extremely happy to get Jnanpith Award. It’s a recognition for not only me but also for my readers who have loved me and my creations,” Ray, 69, said in her reaction. The author has over 40 novels, travelogues and short stories to her credit. The award carries a cash prize of `7 lakh, a citation and a public felicitation. Ray will be the 47th author to be bestowed with the honour. She is a household name in Orissa, having made a remarkable journey from her obscure village in Jagatsinghpur district to the hearts and minds of readers.
A professor by profession and a writer by choice, Ray is one of the leading fiction writers in India and she has been involved in active research.
Her writings have been translated into English, other foreign languages as also a number of other Indian languages.
Her boldness, courage and commitment to work with the Bonda tribe was commendable at a time when even a male researcher shied away from working with them. In her works, she is redefining her role and determining parameters for herself and the society in every walk of life and perhaps revolutionising the concept of womanhood itself.
Her role-model was her father, late Parashuram Das, who gave up a lucrative job in the Tata Iron & Steel Company and joined as the first headmaster of Balikuda High School to educate the people to help them realise the significance of freedom struggle.