J.P. (Jagannath Prasad) Das is an eminent poet, playwright, fiction writer and critic. His books have been widely translated into Hindi, English and other Indian languages and his plays have been performed in many languages in different parts of India. A Ph.D. in Art History, he has authored several books on Oriya art. He was a member of the Indian Administrative Service, but left it to devote himself to full-time research and writing. He is a recpient of the Sahitya Akademi award and the Saraswati Samman. Born in 1936 in Orissa, he lives and works in New Delhi.