Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay is one of the most recognized authors of Bengali literature. His writing career began with the famous Bengali magazine Desh in 1959. In the same year, his first novel Ghunpoka (Woodworm) was published. He has received many awards for his works: the Vidyasagar Award (1985) for his contribution in children's literature; Ananda Puraskar (in 1973, and again in 1990) and the Sahitya Academy Award for his novel Manabjamin in 1988.