R. K. Narayan was an acclaimed Indian writer and novelist, best known for his works set in the fictional South Indian town of Malgudi. Born as Rasipuram Krishnaswami Narayanaswami on October 10, 1906, in Madras, South India, Narayan became a pioneering figure in early Indian literature written in English.

His mentor and friend Graham Greene played a significant role in publishing Narayan's first four books, including the semi-autobiographical trilogy of Swami and Friends, The Bachelor of Arts, and The English Teacher. Narayan's novels are celebrated for their portrayal of social context and the everyday lives of ordinary people, akin to the works of William Faulkner and the short stories of Guy de Maupassant.

Over a career spanning more than six decades, Narayan received numerous awards and honors, including the prestigious AC Benson Medal from the Royal Society of Literature, the Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan awards, and the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship. He was also nominated to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament.