Jnanpith Award for the year 2011

Leading Oriya novelist and academician Pratibha Ray, who has over 40 novels, travelogues and short stories to her credit, was named for the prestigious Jnanpith Award for the year 2011. Ray has 20 novels, 24 short stories, 10 travelogues, two poetry collections and a number of essays to her credit. 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.