Manoj Das has been compared,as a short story writer , to Hardy,Saki and O'Henry. One of the delights of Manoj Das 's writimg is that he has not been trained to write like Charles Lamb or George Eliot,but writes a spntaneous English quite free from imported literary idioms. And he writes as an indian indeed, with a wholly Indian view of things, from an Indian background.
Manoj Das is one of the very few successful bilingual writers in India.His creative gift finds expression not only in English but in Oriya, the language of his home state of Orissa.One of the intriguing qualities of his English writing is the lack of cliches- the totally unexpected use of words and thir collocation.
Born in a remote seaside village of Orissa, some twenty miles from the nearest railway station,Manoj Das grew up during the heady period leading to independence. His work shows familiarity with every aspect of Indian village life, and also with the effects of change on the feudal society that was breaking up.
Besides collection of short stories for adults, Manoj Das has written children's tales, fables and phantasies, and a booklet on Shri Aurobindo. He has been given many prizes for literature in his native state of Orissa,and also the coveted NATIONAL SAHITYA AKADEMIC AWARD,in1972 . He now teaches English at the SHRI AUROBINDO INTER NATIONAL CENTER OF EDUCATION IN PONDICHERRY. He also edits a new cultural monthly, called 'THE HERITAGE ' The quality of Manoj Das' stories is becoming increasingly recognised, now,outside india and especially in the united states.
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