Odia Books

Kamalakanta Das was born in 1906, he passed the Matriculation Examination from the Pyarimohan
Academy, Cuttack in 1927. After seeking employment at many places he at last got a job in the Co-operative Department. In 1962 he retired from Government service and spent his life of retirement at Cuttack till death.Kamalakanta was a prolific writer.

He tried his hand in writing novels, short stories, poems and essays.But he won popularity and appreciation chiefly as a novelist. His first novel Bou (Mother), which he wrote at the age of eighteen, is considered to be his best. Soon after its publication in 1930, he was known as a novelist of high order. His life was a life of dedication to literature. He continued his creative activity till rendered invalid and speechless by disease.

His works comprise twenty-four novels, six collections of short stories, one collection of poems and a few prose essays. He was a painter and artist too. For his life long contribution to Oriya literature, he was honoured by the Orissa Sahitya Akademi in 1972 and by Kalavinod in 1976.

In his fiction he has portrayed the characters both from urban and rural surroundings with sympathy and compassion. But his excellence lies in the realistic representation of village life both belonging to preindependent period. Many of his characters have revolted against the existing social order and have tried to bring about reform in the society. Through them he has boldly and successfully shown the problem of untouchability, intoxication, communalism, false sense of aristocracy, redtapeism and nepotism prevalent in the society. His language is colloquial and lucid.

FURTHER WORKS: Novel: Ashrita 1935, Saradi Nani 1946, Manara dau 1946, Chabis number Cabin
1946, Manisara Dabi 1946, Nartaki 1948, Sadar Mafsal 1952, Manachor 1952, Charitrahina 1953, Jiban
Sauda 1954, Dipasikha 1965, Ichha Barana I965, Chidia khana 1966. Short Story: Dharmapatha 1950,
Ghasipadara Maya 1958, Dasanka Chatani 1961, Naba Parnika I962, Bhuta Galpa 1967, Bibidha 1979.
Poem: Sabitri Uansa 1939, Biography: Kabi Gangadhara.BIBLIOGRAPHY: Hemanta Das Aupanyasika Kamalakanta, P. Patnaik and B. Rout Oriya Upanyasa Sahityara Parichaya I969.

Chabis number Cabin
Ashrita
Saradi Nani
Manara Dau
Manisara Dabi
Nartaki
Manachor
Charitrahina
Dipasikha