Manoranjan Byapari writes in Bengali. He taught himself to read and write at the age of twenty-four when he was in prison. He has worked as a rickshaw-puller, a sweeper, a porter, a cook. In 2018, the English translation of his memoir, Ittibrite Chandal Jibon (Interrogating My Chandal Life), received the Hindu Prize for non-fiction. The English translation of his novels Batashe Baruder Gandha and Chhera Chhera Jibon have been shortlisted for several literary prizes. He received the Shakti Bhatt Prize in 2023 for his body of work. In 2021, Byapari became a member of the Bengal Legislative Assembly.