WRITER
R. K. Narayan
1906 - 2001
R. K. Narayan
Rasipuram Krishnaswami Narayanaswami (10 October 1906 – 13 May 2001), better known as R. K. Narayan, was an Indian writer and novelist known for his work set in the fictional South Indian town of Malgudi. He was a leading author of early Indian literature in English along with Mulk Raj Anand and Raja Rao. Narayan's mentor and friend Graham Greene was instrumental in getting publishers for Narayan's first four books including the semi-autobiographical trilogy of Swami and Friends, The Bachelor of Arts and The English Teacher. Read more on Wikipedia
Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of R. K. Narayan has received more than 5,302,378 page views. His biography is available in 45 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 43 in 2019). R. K. Narayan is the 3,260th most popular writer (down from 3,218th in 2019), the 413th most popular biography from India (down from 378th in 2019) and the 60th most popular Indian Writer.
Memorability Metrics
5.3M
Page Views (PV)
58.73
Historical Popularity Index (HPI)
45
Languages Editions (L)
1.83
Effective Languages (L*)
5.84
Coefficient of Variation (CV)
Among WRITERS
Among writers, R. K. Narayan ranks 3,260 out of 7,302. Before him are Kosta Khetagurov, Kan Kikuchi, Gregory Benford, Jacques Delille, Oles Honchar, and Emile Habibi. After him are Arnošt Muka, Ennio Flaiano, William of Jumièges, Erich Weinert, Bekir Çoban-zade, and Maurice de Guérin.
Most Popular Writers in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsKosta Khetagurov
1859 - 1906
HPI: 58.74
Rank: 3,254
Kan Kikuchi
1888 - 1948
HPI: 58.73
Rank: 3,255
Gregory Benford
1941 - Present
HPI: 58.73
Rank: 3,256
Jacques Delille
1738 - 1813
HPI: 58.73
Rank: 3,257
Oles Honchar
1918 - 1995
HPI: 58.73
Rank: 3,258
Emile Habibi
1922 - 1996
HPI: 58.73
Rank: 3,259
R. K. Narayan
1906 - 2001
HPI: 58.73
Rank: 3,260
Arnošt Muka
1854 - 1932
HPI: 58.72
Rank: 3,261
Ennio Flaiano
1910 - 1972
HPI: 58.72
Rank: 3,262
William of Jumièges
1000 - 1070
HPI: 58.72
Rank: 3,263
Erich Weinert
1890 - 1953
HPI: 58.72
Rank: 3,264
Bekir Çoban-zade
1893 - 1937
HPI: 58.71
Rank: 3,265
Maurice de Guérin
1810 - 1839
HPI: 58.71
Rank: 3,266
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1906, R. K. Narayan ranks 182. Before him are Paul Sacher, Mohammad Kazem Shariatmadari, Ulanhu, Nils Axelsson, Jerzy Giedroyc, and Jan Werich. After him are Agniya Barto, Andrey Nikolayevich Tikhonov, John D. Rockefeller III, Friz Freleng, Alex Thépot, and Igor Moiseyev. Among people deceased in 2001, R. K. Narayan ranks 135. Before him are Luiz Bonfá, Ilie Verdeț, Dorothy McGuire, Adhemar da Silva, David Kipiani, and Chuck Schuldiner. After him are Hilde Holger, Beatrice Straight, Burt Kennedy, J. J. Johnson, Victor Wong, and Viktor Astafyev.
Others Born in 1906
Go to all RankingsPaul Sacher
BUSINESSPERSON
1906 - 1999
HPI: 58.93
Rank: 176
Mohammad Kazem Shariatmadari
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1906 - 1986
HPI: 58.87
Rank: 177
Ulanhu
POLITICIAN
1906 - 1988
HPI: 58.84
Rank: 178
Nils Axelsson
SOCCER PLAYER
1906 - 1989
HPI: 58.83
Rank: 179
Jerzy Giedroyc
WRITER
1906 - 2000
HPI: 58.83
Rank: 180
Jan Werich
ACTOR
1906 - 1980
HPI: 58.78
Rank: 181
R. K. Narayan
WRITER
1906 - 2001
HPI: 58.73
Rank: 182
Agniya Barto
WRITER
1906 - 1981
HPI: 58.71
Rank: 183
Andrey Nikolayevich Tikhonov
MATHEMATICIAN
1906 - 1993
HPI: 58.68
Rank: 184
John D. Rockefeller III
BUSINESSPERSON
1906 - 1978
HPI: 58.68
Rank: 185
Friz Freleng
FILM DIRECTOR
1906 - 1995
HPI: 58.65
Rank: 186
Alex Thépot
SOCCER PLAYER
1906 - 1989
HPI: 58.62
Rank: 187
Igor Moiseyev
POLITICIAN
1906 - 2007
HPI: 58.60
Rank: 188
Others Deceased in 2001
Go to all RankingsLuiz Bonfá
MUSICIAN
1922 - 2001
HPI: 58.99
Rank: 129
Ilie Verdeț
POLITICIAN
1925 - 2001
HPI: 58.95
Rank: 130
Dorothy McGuire
ACTOR
1916 - 2001
HPI: 58.93
Rank: 131
Adhemar da Silva
ATHLETE
1927 - 2001
HPI: 58.83
Rank: 132
David Kipiani
SOCCER PLAYER
1951 - 2001
HPI: 58.81
Rank: 133
Chuck Schuldiner
MUSICIAN
1967 - 2001
HPI: 58.79
Rank: 134
R. K. Narayan
WRITER
1906 - 2001
HPI: 58.73
Rank: 135
Hilde Holger
DANCER
1905 - 2001
HPI: 58.69
Rank: 136
Beatrice Straight
ACTOR
1914 - 2001
HPI: 58.53
Rank: 137
Burt Kennedy
FILM DIRECTOR
1922 - 2001
HPI: 58.49
Rank: 138
J. J. Johnson
MUSICIAN
1924 - 2001
HPI: 58.48
Rank: 139
Victor Wong
ACTOR
1927 - 2001
HPI: 58.48
Rank: 140
Viktor Astafyev
WRITER
1924 - 2001
HPI: 58.48
Rank: 141
In India
Among people born in India, R. K. Narayan ranks 413 out of 1,861. Before him are Anil Kapoor (1956), Kiran Bedi (1949), Madhubala (1933), Debendranath Tagore (1817), Jeetendra (1942), and Vichitravirya (null). After him are Idries Shah (1924), Man Singh I (1550), Ashapurna Devi (1909), Prince Vijaya (-543), Jagat Gosain (1573), and Sam Manekshaw (1914).
Others born in India
Go to all RankingsAnil Kapoor
ACTOR
1956 - Present
HPI: 58.88
Rank: 407
Kiran Bedi
POLITICIAN
1949 - Present
HPI: 58.83
Rank: 408
Madhubala
ACTOR
1933 - 1969
HPI: 58.81
Rank: 409
Debendranath Tagore
PHILOSOPHER
1817 - 1905
HPI: 58.76
Rank: 410
Jeetendra
ACTOR
1942 - Present
HPI: 58.75
Rank: 411
Vichitravirya
POLITICIAN
HPI: 58.74
Rank: 412
R. K. Narayan
WRITER
1906 - 2001
HPI: 58.73
Rank: 413
Idries Shah
WRITER
1924 - 1996
HPI: 58.65
Rank: 414
Man Singh I
POLITICIAN
1550 - 1614
HPI: 58.65
Rank: 415
Ashapurna Devi
WRITER
1909 - 1995
HPI: 58.65
Rank: 416
Prince Vijaya
POLITICIAN
543 BC - 504 BC
HPI: 58.64
Rank: 417
Jagat Gosain
COMPANION
1573 - 1619
HPI: 58.64
Rank: 418
Sam Manekshaw
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1914 - 2008
HPI: 58.62
Rank: 419
Among WRITERS In India
Among writers born in India, R. K. Narayan ranks 60. Before him are Sachchidananda Vatsyayan (1911), K. Shivaram Karanth (1902), Maithili Sharan Gupt (1886), Sumitranandan Pant (1900), Shibli Nomani (1857), and Suryakant Tripathi (1899). After him are Idries Shah (1924), Ashapurna Devi (1909), Ibn Warraq (1946), Vaikom Muhammad Basheer (1908), Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay (1898), and Bharatendu Harishchandra (1850).
Sachchidananda Vatsyayan
1911 - 1987
HPI: 59.72
Rank: 54
K. Shivaram Karanth
1902 - 1997
HPI: 59.63
Rank: 55
Maithili Sharan Gupt
1886 - 1964
HPI: 59.39
Rank: 56
Sumitranandan Pant
1900 - 1977
HPI: 59.32
Rank: 57
Shibli Nomani
1857 - 1914
HPI: 59.03
Rank: 58
Suryakant Tripathi
1899 - 1961
HPI: 58.99
Rank: 59
R. K. Narayan
1906 - 2001
HPI: 58.73
Rank: 60
Idries Shah
1924 - 1996
HPI: 58.65
Rank: 61
Ashapurna Devi
1909 - 1995
HPI: 58.65
Rank: 62
Ibn Warraq
1946 - Present
HPI: 58.60
Rank: 63
Vaikom Muhammad Basheer
1908 - 1994
HPI: 58.58
Rank: 64
Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay
1898 - 1971
HPI: 58.51
Rank: 65
Bharatendu Harishchandra
1850 - 1885
HPI: 58.50
Rank: 66