About
Considered one of the greatest Indian-English novelists of all time, he wrote Swami and Friends (1935) and The Bachelor of Arts (1937). He is the recipient of the prestigious Padma Vibhusha award.
Before Fame
He began his literary career as a reporter for The Justice, a Madras-based newspaper. He published his first novel, Swami and Friends, in 1935.
Trivia
He was awarded honorary doctorates by the University of Leeds and Delhi University.
Family Life
His wife, Rajam, died of typhoid fever in 1939, leaving the couple's young daughter, Hema, without a mother. His grief over his wife's death inspired his 1945 novel, The English Teacher.
Associated With
He was mentored and championed by author Graham Greene.
