Santanu Kumar Acharya


Santanu Kumar Acharya is a Sahitya Akademi Award-winning Indian writer.

Life

Santanu Kumar Acharya was born on 15 May 1933 in Kolkata, West Bengal, to his mother Krushnapriya Mishra and father Ananta Charan Acharya. His home at that time was in the village of Sidheswarpur, Odisha, where his grandfather who compiled the Purnachandra Odia Bhashakosha, Gopala Chandra Praharaj, also lived. On 13 June 1942, his mother, Krushnapriya, died. Shortly after her death, the Quit India Movement began in August. Santanu Kumar Acharya's father was a Gandhian, and his family was ostracized by the village elders of Sidheswarpur who were supporters of the British. This event combined with his mother's death just a few months ago led Acharya to find comfort in nature. He began to write poetry about the aesthetics of nature. Soon after that, his poetry started to focus more on introspection rather than aesthetics. In 1944, at the age of 11, he began to write serious poetry which gained him some recognition at his school. The poetry he wrote then was collected and published as Mandakini in 2022. He served the Government of Odisha as a college teacher for 34 years, from 1958 to 1992. He retired as the Registrar of Utkal University.

Selected works

Acharya has written 17 novels, 23 short story collections comprising about 400 stories, and 11 children's books.

Novels

Nara-Kinnara, Shatabdira Nachiketa, Tinoti Ratira Sakala, Dakshinabartta, Yatrara Prathama Pada, Anya Eka Samaya Anya Eka Bharata, Shakuntala, Mantrinka Share, Dharitrira Kanda, Anu Hajijiba Pare, Adrushya Jagataru Barta, Billy Goat Banam Uruvela Ghotatak, Swarna Tribhuja, This is a collection of the three short novels of Mantrinka Share, Adrushya Jagataru Barta, & Billy Goat Banam Uruvela Ghotatak.Trishna: Eka Anaviskrita America, Anomara Kanya, Jeje Malapare,, Science Fiction, Novel, Publ: Grantha Mandira, Binode Bihari, Cuttack-2, Odisha.Bahu Bahu Janma,, Novel, Publ: Grantha Mandira, Binode Bihari, Cuttack-2, Odisha.

Short story collections

Mana Murmur, 1962 Durbaara, 1965 Eii Shesha Padati, 1972 Aranyara Chula, 1974 Adina Boula, 1978 Ekabinsha Satabdi Paain Galpa, 1978 Karanjia Diary, 1984 Sarpa Jaana, 1989 Chalanti Thaakura, 1991 Nataliyara Omkar, 1995 Galpa Varnali, 1997 Shreshtha Galpa, 1998 Jala Chhabira Raati, 1999 Drushya-Adrushya, 2002 Chhaya Purusha, 2005 Record Breaker, 2006 Trutiya Netra, 2007 Santanu Acharya's Galpa Samagra
  • * Vol 1, 2009
  • * Vol 2, 2011Kala Pardara Aarapate, 2013 Santanu Acharya-nka Smaraniya Galpa, 2015
  • AshtaSiDdhi O Anyanya Galpa,2019, Published by PrachiSahitya Pratishan, Binode Bihari, Cuttack-2
Anthology of Author's Recently written Stories of felt life experiences comprising dreams and Occult Experiences.
  • Katha Dashaka,First Ed 2021- Ed: Pitabas Routray, Publisher: Fhula Bhagaban Foundation, Mahabir Prakashan, Old Bus Stand, Bhubaneswar,

Children's literature

Mo Katha Ghoda Katha Kahe, 1961 Baga Bagichara Saudagara, 1962
  • , 1963 Koshi Upatyakara Rajkumar Mohan, 1964 Shaktira Karamati, 1971 Mo Naan Da Vinci O Niaan Laga Opi, 1980 Nitidinia Jeebanare Bijnana, 1989 Baigyanika Abiskara o Udbhabana, 1989 Dine Akasha bi na thila, 2001 Peeta Prastara Udyana, 2010
  • Kathare Kathare Bigyana,2020, All the books on Children's Literature authored by Santanu Kumar Acharya Collected into one Book, Published by Santosh Publications,Kanchan, Gajapati Nagar, Sutahata, Cuttack, 753003.

Others

  • Autobiography:
Mo Jeeban: Anya Eka Upanyasa, 2013 Travelogue:
Baichitryamaya Desha: America Bhramana, 2015
Books translated into other languages:
  • English:
  • * Shakuntala: award-winning original novel in Odia language, 1980, translated to English by Lipipushpa Nayak, first edition 2014
  • * Anoma's Daughter: award-winning original novel in Odia, Anomara Kanya, translated to English by Bibhas Mohanty and the author
  • * Santanu Kumar Acharya: collection of short stories, published by Grass Roots, Kolkata, 2004, translated by St-Pierre, Leelawati Mohapatra and K.K. Mohapatra
  • Hindi:
  • * Nara Kinnara: first published in Odia language in Odisha, 1962, Odisha Sahitya Academy Award-winning classic Odia novel), translated from Odia to Hindi by Shanakar Lal Purohit, published by Vijaya Books, Sahadara Delhi, 2017,
  • *Shakuntala, published by Radhakrishna Prakashan Pvt Ltd, Dariya Ganj, Delhi-2, translated from author's original novel Shakuntala in Odia to Hindi by Prof Radhakanta Mishra.
  • * Dakshinavarta, 2002, translated from author's novel Dakshinavarta in Odia to Hindi by Dr Srinivas Udgata
  • *Gujarati:
  • * Dakshinavarta, published by 1986, translated from author's original Odia novel Dakshinavarta to Gujarati and published by Dr Ranuka Sriram
  • Bengali:
  • *Chalanti Thakura, published 1991, translated from author's original short story collection to Bengali by Shyamasundar Mahapatra and Amitrasudan Bhattacharya, published by Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, 2016

Awards