Viveki Rai (19 November 1924 – 22 November 2016) was an Indian writer who penned over fifty books.

He was a famous literary figure of Hindi and Bhojpuri literature. He belonged to Bhumihar Brahmin community of Sonwani village in Ghazipur. He was a well known Hindi Lalit Nibandhakaar.^[1] He received numerous awards from the government of Uttar Pradesh. Sonamati is his most popular novel. He was awarded Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan Award in 2001 and Uttar Pradesh's prestigious Yash Bharati Samman award in 2006 for his contribution to Hindi literature.^[2] He has been awarded the Mahatma Gandhi Samman by the Uttar Pradesh government.^[3] Sri Rai has been awarded by Jagadguru Ramanandacharya Award of Srimath Kashi on 14 January 2012 in Varanasi. He criticized the Indian Emergency through his writing.^[4] He also published some notable essays.^[5] After a long illness, Rai died on 22 November 2016.^[6]

Viveki Rai was born in Bharauli village of Ghazipur district in Uttar Pradesh, India. He lost his father when he was a young child. He got his early education at his maternal place. His first employment was as a teacher at his village Sonwani. However, after a couple of years he moved to Sri Sarvodaya Inter College, Khardiha and started teaching Hindi. It was village Khardiha where he got recognition as a writer. After a few years at Khardiha he was employed at post graduate college Ghazipur as lecturer.

• List of Indian writers
• Tapan Kumar Pradhan
• Namdeo Dhasal