Devdas Chhotray, born on 25 November 1946, is a poet, and also a writer of short stories, screenplays and film lyrics. Educated at Ravenshaw College, Cuttack and Cornnel University in the USA, he is a member of the Indian Administrative Service, and also the first Vice Chancellor of the Ravenshaw University. His sustained association with film societies and film schools such as the 'Celluloid Chapter' in Jamshedpur, and the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune is evident. Apart from his debut 'Nila Saraswati'(1984), his other poetry anthologies comprise, 'Mallika'(2014), 'Hati Saja Kara'(2008), 'Dekhichi Dekhini'(2016) and 'Deergha Swasha'(2018). The trans-creations of his 'Mallika' poems by the eminent Odia painter Prafulla Mohanty has been published as 'Longing'(2004) in London. His short story collections 'Laal Macha'(1989), 'Ramaku Maribara Panchati Upaya'(2015) and a novella 'Chumbana'(2014), written in the backdrop of Ravenshaw College have earned critical acclaim. An anthology of his poems in Hindi translation 'Ret ki Sidhi' was published in Delhi in 2004. Devdas Chhotray Currently lives in Cuttack and Delhi.