INDIAN ENGLISH LITERATURE

Indian English Literature (IEL) refers to the work of English writers in India and whose native or co-native language could be one of the numerous languages of India. IEL is also associated with the works of banished members of India especially people like Salman Rushdie, who was born in India.

Indian English Literature is frequently referred to as “Indo-Anglian literature”. Indo-Anglian is a specific term in the sole context of writing that should not be confused with the term Anglo-Indian. As a category, this production comes under the broader realm of post-colonial literature- the production from previously colonized countries like India.

Indian English Literature has only one and a half centuries old. The first book written by an Indian in English was “Travels of Dean Mahomet” by Sake Dean Mahomet. This was published in England in the year 1793. In its early stages Indian English Literature was influenced by the western art form of the novel. Early Indian writers used English unadulterated by Indian words to convey an experience. “Kanthapura“by Raja Rao has a Indian style of storytelling qualities. Rabindranath Tagore wrote both in Bengali and English and he was also responsible for the translations of his own work into English. Dhan Gopal Mukerji was the first Indian author to win a literary award in the United States. Nirad C.Chaudhuri, a writer of non-fiction is well-known for his work “The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian” where he relates his own life experiences. A poet, translator, publisher and an essayist P.Lal founded a press in the year 1950 for Indian English writing.

R. K. Narayan shortened from Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami at the behest of Graham Greene, was one of India's greatest English language novelists who is well-known for his works based in the fictional town of “Malgudi”. R. K. Narayan’s works showcased his ability to highlight the social context and provide a feel of the characters through the simple narration of everyday life. He was often compared to the William Faulkner since both their works brought out the humor and energy of ordinary life and also displayed compassionate humanism. Narayan's evocation of small town life and its experiences through the eyes of the endearing child protagonist Swaminathan in Swami and Friends is a good sample of his writing Along with Mulk Raj Anand and Raja Rao, Narayan forms the triumvirate of Indian literature in English. He is credited with bringing English language writing from India to the rest of the world. R.K. Narayan contributed over many decades and continued to write till his death.