Jayanta Mahapatra was an Indian poet. He is the first Indian poet to win a Sahitya Akademi award for English poetry. He was the author of poems such as "Indian Summer" and "Hunger", which are regarded as classics in modern Indian English literature. He was awarded with Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour of India in 2009, but he returned this award in 2015 to protest against rising intolerance in India.
Manoj Das was an Indian author who wrote in Odia and English. In 2000, Manoj Das was awarded the Saraswati Samman. He was awarded Padma Shri in 2001, the fourth-highest Civilian Award in India, and Padma Bhusan in 2020, the third-highest Civilian Award in India for his contribution to the field of Literature & Education.
Odia literature is literature written in the Odia language, mostly from the Indian state of Odisha. The modern Odia language is mostly formed from Tadbhava words with significant Sanskrit (Tatsama) influences, along with loanwords from Desaja, English, Hindustani (Hindi/Urdu), Persian, and Arabic. Its earliest written texts date from around 1000 CE. The earliest Odia newspaper was Utkala Deepika, first published on August 4, 1866.
Mrinal Chatterjee is an Indian academic and author. He heads the Indian Institute of Dhenkanal. He has authored five academic books on media studies in Odia, including History of Journalism in Odisha and Glossary of Terms for Media Persons. His has authored ten novels and seven short story collections in Odia, including Jagate Thiba Jate Dina published (2010), Kandhei (2013), Eka Sundar Chandini Ratire (2016), Yamraj Chutire (2015), Yamraj Number 5003 (2016), which is translated into Assamese, and a series of columns in Odia
Gourahari Das is a creative writer, journalist and an academician.
Jagannath Prasad Das is an Indian writer, poet,painter, playwright and novelist who writes in Odia.
Santanu Kumar Acharya is a National Sahitya Academy Award-winning Indian writer.
Atibadi Jagannath Das Samman is a literary award awarded by Odisha Sahitya Akademi to an Odia language litterateur for lifetime contribution to Odia literature. This is the most respectable honor to any litterateur by the academy. This award is named after 15th century Odia poet Atibadi Jagannath Das who was also known as Atibadi (greatest). Started in 1993, the first award was given to Odia poet Radha Mohan Gadanayak. As of 2020, 28 awards have been awarded.
Kanan Mishra (1944–2015) was an Odia writer.
Bibhuti Pattnaik is an Odia novelist and columnist. Entered as a college lecturer in the Dept.of Odia Language and literature in the year 1970 and retired as a Reader, in the year 1995.
Ramesh Chandra Bhanja was a writer, teacher, educationist, linguist, historian, editor and dramatist from Odisha. He has written many short-stories & poetry collections for children of all age groups. For his book Gapa Ganthili, he received the Odisha Sahitya Academy Award.
Natabara Samantaray was an Odia writer and literary critic. Some of his known literary historical works are Odia Sahityara Itihasa (1803-1920), Adhunika Odia Sahityara Bhittibhumi and Vyasakabi Fakirmohan. His critical review included works of many noted Odia authors like Fakir Mohan Senapati and Radhanath Ray. His historical research includes all of the major Odia writings published during 1803 until 1920 which accentuate the British Raj and its impact in coastal Odisha, and a critical analysis of the modern Odia literature.
Mohapatra Nilamani Sahoo, surname also spelt Sahu, was an Indian Odia language short story writer. He received several literary awards over his career, including the 1979 Odisha Sahitya Academy Award for Akasha Patala, and the 1983 Sarala Award and the 1984 Sahitya Akademi Award in Odia, for Abhisapta Gandharba. Sahoo died on 25 June 2016 after multiple organ failures.
Basanta Kumari Patnaik was an Odia language novelist, short story writer, playwright, poet and essayist; considered to be one of the pioneers in Odia literature. She became famous for her three novels: Amada Bata, Chorabali and Alibha Chita, among which Amada Bata has been adapted into an Odia film by same name.
Binapani Mohanty was an Indian Odia language writer and academician. She was well known for her works such as Patadei and Kasturi Mriga. She was a professor in economics before retiring. She had been awarded Padmashree by the Government of India and Atibadi Jagannatha Das Sammana by Odisha Sahitya Akademi. She had earlier won the Sahitya Akademi Award and Sarala Award. She had served as chairperson of Odisha Lekhika Sansad.
Hussain Rabi Gandhi was an Indian Odia writer of the late-twentieth century, a politician, a public intellectual and a cultural activist hailing from the Indian state of Odisha. Being a founder member of Biju Janata Dal, he served as the general secretary of the party from upon its formation in 1998 till 2005. In 1994 the title of Biplabi Loka Kabi was conferred upon him by the Mayor of Cuttack. He was also awarded with the title of Utkala Jyoti in 1996 by the then Deputy chief minister of Odisha, Basant Kumar Biswal on the behalf of Freedom Fighter's Organisation. Gandhi primarily wrote in Odia language and was bestowed with the Secular India Harmony Award in 1993 by the former President of India, Giani Zail Singh and with the Gangadhar Meher Kabita award in 2015 for his notable contributions to the field of Odia poetry. Hussain served as the President of Odisha Sahitya Akademi (2008–2010). He was famously known as the Gandhi of Korei and was regarded as a bridge between Western Odisha and Costal Odisha. He also served as Lead Member of Smt. Nandini Satpathy Memorial Trust (SNSMT).
Binod Chandra Nayak was an Odia writer. He was known for his writing that was influenced by modern poetry while being romantic. He was awarded the 1970 Kendra Sahitya Akademi award for his poetry collection Sarisrupa.
Mamata Dash is an Odia poet, writer and translator. She was awarded the Odisha Sahitya Academy Award for her poetry collection Ekatra Chandrasurya.
Godabarish Mohapatra was a story writer and poet in Odia literature. He was also a journalist of Odisha, best known as the editor of "Niankhunta", a monthly criticism magazine, and "Tuan Tuin", a monthly children's magazine.
Chandrasekhar Rath was an Indian Odia litterateur. In 2018, he was nominated for Padma Shri but could not receive it due to death.
