Malgudi: Stories About the Author R.K. Narayan is one of the most prominent Indian novelists of the twentieth century. Born in 1906, Narayan was the recipient of the National Prize of the Indian Literary Academy, India's highest literary honor. His numerous works Mr. Sampath - The Printer of Malgudi, Swami and Friends, Waiting for Mahatma and Gods, Demons and Others, all published by the University of Chicago Press.