Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c10.s2.t31.2

v2.c10.s2.t31.2

Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami obtained the Bachelor of Arts degree of University of Mysore in 1930. He worked as a teacher and correspondent after graduation. He became a professional writer in 1935 when his first full-length novel *Swami and Friends* was published. In 1961, his full-length novel *The Guide* (1958) won him the Sahitya Akademi Award. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 1964. In 1980, he was given the Benson Medal and became a member of Royal Society of Literature in the UK. He became an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1982, and a member of the Rajya Sabha of the Indian Parliament in 1989. In 2000, he was given the second highest civilian award Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India.