Surendra Mohanty born in Orissa was an award-winning author who wrote in Oriya. He was the recipient of the Orissa Sahitya Academy Award for his novel Nilashaila.

He was the President of Orissa Sahitya Academy from the year 1981 to 1987. He was also the first editor, and later chief editor for the newspaper The Sambad.He is a writer of short stories, novels, travelogues, criticism and biographies. He wrote around 50 books belonging to different genres.

His well known books areMahanagarira Ratri (The Night of the Metropolis), Maralara Mrutyu (The Death of a Swan), Andha Diganta (The Dark Horizon), and Mahanirvana (The Final Departure). Yadubamsa O Anyaanya Galpa (The Yadubamsa and other stories), Rajadhani O Anyaanya Galpa (The Capital and other stories), Krushnachuda (The Gulmohur) and Ruti O Chandra (The Bread and The Moon) are his famous short stories