Renowned English novelist of international fame, R. K. Narayan was born in Madras in 1906. He had his initial education in Madras (Chennai) and later at the Maharaja's College in Mysore. He was living in Mysore, the place which had maximum influence on him and reflected in his novels, till recently. Presently, he is living in Madras. Dr. Narayan has travelled extensively. Most of his works, starting from his first novel, 'Swami and His Friends' (1935) is set in the fictional town of Malgudi. His novels reflect the Indian conditions and life and have a unique identity of their own. Malgudi comes to life in his novel, leaving a feeling that the reader is a part of Dr Narayan's fictional place. Narayan started his career as a journalist in Mysore and later took to writing of novels. He has published numerous novels including 'The Guide' which was made into a film. His five collections of short stories are A Horse and Two Goats, An Astrologer's Day, Lawley Road, Malgudi Days, and The Grandmother's Tale. My Dateless Diary and The Emerald Route are two of his travelogues. Besides, Narayan has produced four collections of essays - Next Sunday, Reluctant Guru, A Writer's Nightmare, and A Story-Teller's World - and a memoir (My Days), and translations of Indian epics and myths like The Ramayana, The Mahabharata, and Gods, Demons and Others. The Royal Society of Literature has honoured Dr. Narayan with the A.C. Benson award in 1980. He is an honorary member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. The Mysore University has conferred on him an honorary doctorate recognising his contribution to Indian English literature. The Central Sahitya Academy has conferred its award on Dr. Narayan in 1958 for his novel, The Guide. Rasipuram Krishnaswamyi Aiyar Naranayanaswamy, who in his early years signed his name as R. K. Narayanaswamy, shortened his name as R.K.Narayan at the time of the publication of 'Swami and His Friends' on Graham Greene's suggestion, a close literary colleague of his. R. K. Narayan's Published Works: 1935: Swami and His Friends 1937: Bachelor of Arts 1938: The Dark Room 1939: Mysore 1945: The English Teacher 1947: An Astrologer's Day, and other stories 1949: Mr. Sampath - The Printer of Malgudi 1952: The Financial Expert 1953: Grateful to Life and Death 1955: Waiting for the Mahatma 1956: Lawley Road, and other stories 1958: The Guide 1960: Next Sunday : sketches and essays 1961: The Man-Eater of Malgudi 1964: My Dateless Diary: An American Journey 1965: Gods, Demons, and others 1967: The Vendor of Sweets 1970: A Horse and two Goats, stories 1972: The Ramayana; a shortened modern prose version 1974: My Days 1974: Reluctant Guru 1976: The Painter of Signs 1978: The Mahabharata: a shortened modern prose version 1980: The Emerald Route 1982: Malgudi Days 1983: A Tiger for Malgudi 1985: Under the Banyan Tree and other stories 1986: Talkative Man 1988: A Writer's Nightmare : selected essays 1989: A Story-Teller's World: Stories, Essays, Sketches 1990: The World of Nagaraj 1992: Malgudi Landscapes: the best of R.K. Narayan 1993: The Grandmother's Tale: three novels 1993: Salt & Sawdust : stories and table talk