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Basanta Satpathy holds a distinctive place in the realm of post-independence Odia literature. His writings reflect a unique synthesis: the subtlety of wit and humor coexists with a deeply contemplative and unconventional perspective on life. He carved out a literary space where satire and profound insight stand side by side. Satpathy's greatest literary achievement lies in his ability to strip humanity of all its social veneers and present the raw essence of human nature before the reader. Whether it is primal instincts, greed, or self-centeredness that lie hidden beneath the surface, Satpathy fearlessly brought them to light—often through an effortless and disarming sense of humor.
Satpathy began his literary career with a focus on literary criticism and editorial work. in Bhanja Sahitya and Mayurbhanj Chronicle. Satapathy's first collection of short stories, Anti-Romantic, was published in 1966 and received the Odisha Sahitya Akademi Award. This was followed by multiple collections of short fiction, with stories regularly appearing in literary journals such as Jhankara, Samabesha, Asantakali, Pratibeshi, and Nabalipi. In 2009, the National Book Trust published a volume titled Basanta Satapathynka Shrestha Galpamala as part of its national translation series focusing on major Indian literatures. His story collections were also translated into Hindi and published by Bharatiya Jnanpith. In 2023, twenty of his major stories were translated into English by Professor Bikram Keshari Das under the title When Their Eyes Meet. Another translated volume, The One-Eyed Chick and Other Stories (2013), had been published earlier. Notably, Anti-Romantic was translated into English by Jagannath Dash and published by the Sahitya Akademi in 2022.
Although primarily recognized as a pioneering short story writer, Satapathy made significant contributions to other domains of literature as well. As a professor of English, he translated several English literary works into Odia, including Lamb’s Tales from Shakespeare (1977) and The Odyssey (1970). His 1960 collection Nabanatika comprises Odia translations of select English one-act plays. Under the guidance of Mayadhar Mansingh, he edited a major anthology of modern Odia poetry, Sanchayana (1974), published by the Sahitya Akademi and modeled after the internationally renowned Palgrave’s Golden Treasury. He also translated Rabindranath Tagore’s Raja into Odia, published by the Sahitya Akademi in 1979. In 1970, he dramatized Fakir Mohan Senapati’s novel Chha Mana Atha Guntha under the title Champa.
Further, Satapathy authored a critical monograph titled Fakir Mohan: His Life and Literature (1984), which includes an analytical essay and English translations of six of Senapati’s stories. A considerable body of his unpublished writings remains, including four essay collections under the working title Basanti Ramya Rachanamala and several English-language critical essays. His memoir Manepade was posthumously published in 2008.
During the 1960s and 1970s, his essays were regularly featured in Indian Literature, the journal of the Sahitya Akademi. Among the noteworthy titles are “Nilasaila,” “One or Two Outstanding Books,” “Neither Bombs Nor Whimper,” and “Much Paper, More Poverty.” Drawing on the model of the Sir Roger de Coverley essays, he also authored a satirical piece titled Sir Roger and Test Cricket (1960).
Though an academic in English literature, Satapathy made a lasting contribution to Odia creative writing. His scholarship extended deeply into Sanskrit literature as well. Many of his writings incorporate citations and interpretations of both Western authors and Sanskrit shlokas. In an interview, he acknowledged the literary influence of Dickens, Lamb, Shakespeare, Kalidasa, Bhavabhuti, and—most prominently—Fakir Mohan Senapati.
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