 In 1953 , his works were published in the United States for the first time , by Michigan State University Press , who later ( in 1958 ) , relinquished the rights to Viking Press . While Narayan 's writings often bring out the anomalies in social structures and views , he was himself a traditionalist ; in February 1956 , Narayan arranged his daughter 's wedding following all orthodox Hindu rituals . After the wedding , Narayan began travelling occasionally , continuing to write at least 1500 words a day even while on the road . The Guide was written while he was visiting the United States in 1956 on the Rockefeller Fellowship . While in the U.S. , Narayan maintained a daily journal that was to later serve as the foundation for his book My Dateless Diary . Around this time , on a visit to England , Narayan met his friend and mentor Graham Greene for the first time . On his return to India , The Guide was published ; the book is the most representative of Narayan 's writing skills and elements , ambivalent in expression , coupled with a riddle @-@ like conclusion . The book won him the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1958 . 
