Santanu Kumar Acharya
# Santanu Kumar Acharya

Santanu Kumar Acharya (born 1933) is a National Sahitya Academy Award-winning Indian writer.

## Life

Acharya, born in 1933 in Kolkata, comes from the village Siddheswar Pur of the Cuttack district Odisha. 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 16 novels, 23 short story collections comprising about 400 stories, and 11 children's books.

### Novels

* Nara-Kinnara, 1962 (The Man and the Sub Humans)
* Shatabdira Nachiketa, 1965 (The Nachiketas of the Century)
* Tinoti Ratira Sakala, 1969 (The mornings of three dark nights)
* Dakshinabarta, 1973 (The turning point)
* Jatrara Prathama Pada, 1976 (The First Leg of the Journey)
* Anya Eka Sakaala Anya Eka Bharat, 1977 (It is another morning and it is another India)
* Shakuntala, 1980 (a novel on the Naxallite movements)
* Mantrinka Share, 1988 (The Minister's Share)
* Dharitrira Kanda, 1994 (The Weeping Earth)
* Anu Hajijibapare, 1996 (After Anu Got Lost)
* Adrushya Jagataru Barta, 1996 (Messages from the Unknown Worlds)
* Billy Goat Banam Uruvela Ghotak, 1997 (The man named Billy Goat alias The Laughung Horse of the Uruvela Forest where Goutama Buddha received Enlihtenment)
* Swarna Tribhuja, 1998 (Anthology of three novellas : Billy Goat.., Adrushya Jagataru Barta and Mantrinka Share)
* Trishna: Eka Anaviskrita America, 1999 (The girl named Trishna: The Undiscovered America)
* Anomara Kanya, 2002 (The daughter Of Anoma or the River Maha Nadi)
* Jeje Malapare, ( After Jeje Died), Science Fiction, Novel, Publ: Grantha Mandira, Binode Bihari, Cuttack-2, Odisha, November, 2020.

### Short story collections

* Mana Murmur, 1962 (The Murmuring Mind)
* Durbaara, 1965 (The Incorrigible)
* Eii Shesha Padati, 1972 (This last utterance)
* Aranyara Chula, 1974 (The Tip of The Forest)
* Adina Boula, 1978 (Mango blossoms out of season)
* Ekabinsha Satabdi Paain Galpa, 1978 (Stories for the Twenty First Century)
* Karanjia Diary, 1984 (Based on the real life adventures and observations of the author in Karanjia, Mayurbhanj District
* Aadya Sakaala, 1985 (The first dawn)
* Sarpa Jaana, 1989 (The Snake Vehicle)
* Chalanti Thaakura, 1991 (God who Responds)
* Nataliyara Omkar, 1995 (The OM utterance of Nataliya)
* Galpa Varnali, 1997 (The Spectrum of Stories)
* Shreshtha Galpa, 1998 (A collection of the Best Short Stories)
* Jala Chhabira Raati, 1999 (A Night of Water Colors)
* Drushya-Adrushya, 2002 (The visible and the invisible)
* Chhaya Purusha, 2005 (The Person in the Shadow )
* Record Breaker, 2006
* Trutiya Netra, 2007 (The Third Eye)
* Santanu Acharya's Galpa Samagra (Collection of short stories of the author)
   * Vol 1, 2009
   * Vol 2, 2011
* Kala Pardara Aarapate, 2013 (Behind the Black Veil)
* Santanu Acharya-nka Smaraniya Galpa, 2015 (Twenty Memorable Short Stories of the author)
* AshtaSiDdhi O Anyanya Galpa,2019, Published by PrachiSahitya Pratishan, Binode Bihari, Cuttack-2
* Katha Dashaka ( Ten Selected Stories of the Author Santanu Kumar Acharya ),First Ed 2021- Ed: Pitabas Routray, Publisher: Fhula Bhagaban Foundation, Mahabir Prakashan, Old Bus Stand, Bhubaneswar, ISBN 81-87989-32-17 Parameter error in {{ISBN}}: length

### Children's literature

* Mo Katha Ghoda Katha Kahe, 1961 (My Wooden Horse Speaks)
* Baga Bagichara Saudagara, 1962 (The Merchants of our gardens)
* Akashaku Satoti Pahacha, 1963 (Seven Steps to the Heavens: A science fiction on Space Flight)
* Koshi Upatyakara Rajkumar Mohan, 1964 (Mohan, the Prince of the Koshi Valley)
* Shaktira Karamati, 1971 (A book of Science on Machines and Power for Children)
* Mo Naan Da Vinci O Niaan Laga Opi, 1980 (My name is Da Vinchi and Opi the incendiary i,e Oppenheimer the creator of the first atom bomb; Biographies)
* Nitidinia Jeebanare Bijnana, 1989 (Science in Everyday Life for Children )
* Baigyanika Abiskara o Udbhabana, 1989 (Important Scientific Discoveries and Life of Scientists)
* Dine Akasha bi na thila, 2001 (Once upon a Time there were no Skies over our heads; Cosmology for Children)
* Peeta Prastara Udyana, 2010 (A travelogue on the Yellow Stone National Park, US)
* 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 (My Life is Another Novel)

* Travelogue:

Baichitryamaya Desha: America Bhramana, 2015 (The Mysterious Country: America - A travelogue)

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 (2003), 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, ISBN 9788192084107
   * Shakuntala (1987 Sarala Prize-winning Odia novel, first published in Odisha, 1980), published by Radhakrishna Prakashan (Rajkamal) Pvt Ltd (1997), Dariya Ganj, Delhi-2, translated from author's original novel Shakuntala in Odia to Hindi by Prof Radhakanta Mishra.
   * Dakshinavarta, 2002 (novel), translated from author's novel Dakshinavarta in Odia to Hindi by Dr Srinivas Udgata
   * Gujarati:
   * Dakshinavarta (novel), published by 1986, translated from author's original Odia novel Dakshinavarta to Gujarati and published by Dr Ranuka Sriram
* Bengali:
   * Chalanti Thakura (Academy Award-winning book: short story collection of the author), 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

* National Award for Children's Literature from the Ministry of Education, Government of India (1961 and 1963)
   * 1961: for Mo katha ghoda katha kahe (My Wooden Horse Speaks; Science Fiction for Children)
   * 1963, for Akashaku satoti pahacha (Seven Steps to Heavens; Science Fiction for Children on Space Travel)
* Odisha Sahitya Akademi Award, 1962 (for his novel Nara Kinnara)
* Sarala Puraskara, 1987 ; A prestigious literary award offered annually by Odisha's famous industrial house IMFA, for his novel Shakuntala
* Sahitya Akademi Award, 1993 (Indian National Academy of Literature) for his short story book Chalanti Thakura (The Living God)
* Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad, Kolkata, Konarka Prize, 1994, for his short story book: Chalanti Thakura (The Living God)
* Sahitya Bharati Puraskar, 2004, by Gangadhara Ratha Foundation, for his life-time achievements and contributions to Odia literature
* Katha Puraskar, 2003, by Katha Bharati Foundation, New Delhi, for his Odia novel Anomara Kanya, translated into English as Anoma's Daughter
* Atibadi Jagannath Das Award, the highest honour given by the State, conferred by Sahitya Akademy, Odisha, for lifelong contribution to Odia literature and excellence, in a special ceremony, on 25 July 2014, at Bhubaneswar, Odisha
