Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay (1894–1950), one of the prominent fiction writers in Bengali literature, is best known for his novel Pather Panchali (Songs of the Little Road), and its sequel, Aparajito (The Unvanquished). After completing his undergraduate degree from Ripon College, Kolkata, the author worked as a publicist, a secretary, and a teacher, before penning Pather Panchali in 1928, for which he gained critical acclaim. The novel was adapted into an award-winning film in 1955 by the famous director, Satyajit Ray. He was posthumously awarded the Rabindra Puraskar, West Bengal’s most prestigious literary award, in 1951.

Rani Ray studied English at Bedford College, London  and University of California. She has taught English at the University of Delhi, University of California at Santa Barbara, and the Institute of English Studies in Poland. She has rendered into English a substantial volume of Bengali fiction, including short stories of eminent writers like Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay, Sunil Gangopadhyay, Joy Goswami, Suchitra Bhattacharya, Anita Agnihotri and above all, Rabindranath Tagore.