R. K. Narayan, born Rasipuram Krishnaswami Narayanaswami, was an Indian writer and novelist born on 10 October 1906 in Madras, South India. He is best known for his works set in the fictional South Indian town of Malgudi. Narayan was a leading author of early Indian literature in English, alongside 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. Narayan was adept at highlighting the social context and everyday life of his characters, drawing comparisons to William Faulkner, who similarly created a fictional town and explored the energy of ordinary life with humor and compassion. His short stories have been compared to those of Guy de Maupassant for their narrative compression.

During his career, which spanned over sixty years, Narayan received numerous 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. In 1994, he was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, the highest honor of India's National Academy of Letters. Narayan was also nominated to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament.