Jagannath Prasad Das (born 26 April 1936) is an Indian writer, poet,
playwright and novelist who writes in Odia. He has dominated the Odia
literary scene for over forty years. His literary oeuvre comprise
poetry, plays, short stories, novel, essays, children’s poems and
nonsense verse. He has done translations of literary works from
different languages into Odia and English. He has done extensive
research into Odia art and has published three works on the pictorial
arts of the state. He has also done paintings, acted on stage and in
films, and taken an active part in social and cultural movements. His
writings have been widely translated into Hindi, English and other
Indian languages, bringing him national recognition. He has been
honoured with awards for his writings, the important ones being the
Central Sahitya Akademi award for his poetry (which he refused), the
Nandikar Award for plays, the Sarala Award for short stories and the
Saraswati Samman for his poetry. He has been connected with literary,
cultural, and charitable organisations and has been member/office
holder of these bodies.Starting his career with a brief teaching
assignment as assistant professor in the University of Allahabad, he
joined the Indian Administrative Service and had held many important
positions in the Government of Odisha and the Central Government. He
has chosen to settle down in Delhi after taking premature retirement
from Government service and is a well-known figure in the cultural and
social life of the city where he lives.It would come as no surprise
that Sumanyu Satpathy has titled a short biographical piece he has
written on him The Artist as Polumetis, the Greek term meaning
many-mindedness.
playwright and novelist who writes in Odia. He has dominated the Odia
literary scene for over forty years. His literary oeuvre comprise
poetry, plays, short stories, novel, essays, children’s poems and
nonsense verse. He has done translations of literary works from
different languages into Odia and English. He has done extensive
research into Odia art and has published three works on the pictorial
arts of the state. He has also done paintings, acted on stage and in
films, and taken an active part in social and cultural movements. His
writings have been widely translated into Hindi, English and other
Indian languages, bringing him national recognition. He has been
honoured with awards for his writings, the important ones being the
Central Sahitya Akademi award for his poetry (which he refused), the
Nandikar Award for plays, the Sarala Award for short stories and the
Saraswati Samman for his poetry. He has been connected with literary,
cultural, and charitable organisations and has been member/office
holder of these bodies.Starting his career with a brief teaching
assignment as assistant professor in the University of Allahabad, he
joined the Indian Administrative Service and had held many important
positions in the Government of Odisha and the Central Government. He
has chosen to settle down in Delhi after taking premature retirement
from Government service and is a well-known figure in the cultural and
social life of the city where he lives.It would come as no surprise
that Sumanyu Satpathy has titled a short biographical piece he has
written on him The Artist as Polumetis, the Greek term meaning
many-mindedness.
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