Who was R. K. Narayan?

Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami - R. K. Narayan (10 October 1906 – 13 May 2001) was an Indian writer known for his work set in the fictional South Indian town of 'Malgudi'. He was a leading author of early Indian literature in English along with Mulk Raj Anand and Raja Rao.

Narayan's mentor and friend Graham Greene was instrumental in getting publishers for Narayan's first four books including the semi-autobiographical trilogy of 'Swami and Friends', 'The Bachelor of Arts' and 'The English Teacher'. The fictional town of 'Malgudi' was first introduced in 'Swami and Friends'. 'The Financial Expert' was hailed as one of the most original works of 1951 and Sahitya Academy Award winner 'The Guide' was adapted for the film (winning a Filmfare Award for Best Film) and for Broadway.

In a career that spanned over sixty years Narayan received many awards and honors including the AC Benson Medal from the Royal Society of Literature, the 'Padma Vibhushan' and the 'Padma Bhushan', India's second and third highest civilian awards, and in 1994 the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, the highest honor of India's national academy of letters. He was also nominated to the 'Rajya Sabha', the upper house of the Indian Parliament.