Saradindu Bandyopadhyay (1899–1970), the Bengali novelist, playwright and scriptwriter, is perhaps best-known for his immortal Byomkesh Bakshi stories, written in a span of four decades between 1932 and 1970. He was a master of several prose genres and wrote the award-winning historical novel Tungabhadrar Tire as well as screenplays for Bengali cinema and the Bombay Talkies. His major works include Jhinder Bondi, Chiriyakhana, Jatismar and Bahu Juger Opar Hote.

Monimala Dhar was born in Shillong and spent a major part of her school days there. Her late father A.M. Dam, an administrative officer of repute, encouraged and nurtured her love for Bengali literature. She has had a long academic career, serving as a teacher, a vice principal, a principal and a chief administrative officer post retirement, at institutions of repute. A ‘compulsive’ translator, she intends to make Bengali literature available to those who cannot access it in its original language. Her first volume of Byomkesh Bakshi stories came out in 2003. She has also translated Saradindu’s reincarnation stories called When the Earth Was Young and Abanindranath Tagore’s Rajkahini. This is Monimala’s fourth translated work.