Pratibha Ray is the author of 23 novels, 30 short story collections, 10 travelogues, five essay collections, two poetry collections, an autobiography, and two story collections for children in Odia. Her notable works include Yajnaseni (1984), a retelling of the Mahabharata from Draupadi’s perspective, Mahamoha (2012) a retelling of the Ramayana from Ahalya’s point of view, Magnamati (2004), Uttaramarga (1988), Sesha Iswara (2018), and Prapteshu Pruthibi (2019). She is the first Odia woman writer to be conferred the Jnanpith Award (2011). Among her other awards are the Moortidevi Award (1991), the Sahitya Akademi Awards (1985, 2000), the Padmashree (2007), and the Padma Bhushan (2022). She holds a PhD in Educational Psychology.