Hemendra Kumar Roy (2 September 1888 – 18 April 1963) was an Indian Bengali writer noted for his contribution to the early development of the genre of children's literature in the language.

[1] He was a noted contributor to the early development of Bengali detective fiction with his 'Jayanta-Manik' and adventurist 'Bimal-Kumar' stories, dealing with the exploits of Jayanta, his assistant Manik, and police inspector Sunderbabu.

Roy inherited a part of his artistic talent from his father who was a more than competent player of the Esraj (a string instrument) and regularly gave performance at the famed Star Theatre in North Kolkata.

One of the recurring characters in his stories and novels featuring Jayanta-Manik was Inspector Sunderbabu, a chubby and somewhat-cowardly police officer with an insatiable appetite who was also a good friend to the detectives.

He created a comic series titled Tara Teen Bondhu, which consists of seven short stories such as 'Kukur Kahini', 'Nakuler Daon Mara', 'Maharaja Chor Churamoni Bahadur', 'Kamon Kore Totlami Sare', 'Kartik Pujor Bhoot', 'Der Dozon Jahagi', and 'Madhureno Somapoyet'.

One of his stories, 'Dersho Khokar Kando' (that is, 'The Deeds of 150 Boys') was made into a film, while several of his works, namely Abar Jokher Dhon and Ratrir Jatri, have been adapted for television.

That Roy would adapt Bram Stoker's Dracula into Bishalgarer Dushshashan, Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles into Nishachari Bibhishika and Agatha Christie's Ten Little Niggers into Haradhaner Deep attest to his conscious following of Western sleuth writings in order to make something Indian - and therefore post-colonial - out of them".