R. K. Narayan (1906-2001) is widely regarded as one of India's most distinguished English language writers. His books have been published in India, USA and UK and also been widely translated into several Indian and European languages. Narayan belongs among the earliest band of Indian novelists who drew the world’s attention to English writing from India.

Narayan was born in Madras in south India and educated in Mysore which became his home for over half-a-century. Through his many novels and short stories, he created the enchanting fictional world of Malgudi which captivated his readers and also millions of Indian television viewers who saw TV adaptations of several Malgudi stories.

During the course of his literary career, R. K. Narayan won numerous awards. In 1958, he won the Sahitya Akademi Award, India’s highest literary honour, for his novel, The Guide. In 1980, Narayan was awarded the AC Benson Medal by the Royal Society of Literature of which he was an honorary member. In 1982, he was elected as an honorary member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. He was also awarded honorary doctorates by the universities of Leeds, Mysore and Delhi. In 1989, Narayan was nominated to the Upper House of Indian Parliament for a six-year term for his outstanding contribution to Indian literature. In 2000, a year before his death, he was awarded India's second highest civilian honour, the Padma Vibhushan.

Apart from The Ramayana, Narayan also retold the other great Indian epic The Mahabharata, as well as select Indian legends in Gods, Demons and Others.