TARUN KANTI MISHRA is a distinguished literary figure in contemporary Odia literature. His first book was published in his teens. So far he has published twenty-five collections of short stories, three novels and a novella. Some of his stories have been translated into English and major Indian languages; including books in Bengali, Hindi and English translation. An accomplished storyteller, he portrays his characters, drawn from different stations of life, with empathy and insight. His style is evocative, elegant, haunting. He is recipient of many literary awards, including the Sahitya Akademi award, Odisha Sahitya Academy award and Sarala award. Educated at the Utkal University, India, and the University of East Anglia, UK, he served in the Indian Administrative Service. He is recipient of an honorary D. Litt. for his contribution to literature.