Swami and Friends is the first of a trilogy of novels written by R.K. Narayan, a celebrated English novelist from India. The novel, which is also Narayan's first, is set in pre-independence days in India, in a fictional town - Malgudi, which has almost become a real place in India today, due to the wide recognition and popularity of Narayan's many novels.

A paperback edition was issued in Chicago by the University of Chicago Press in 1980 with ISBN 0226568296. Many other editions have been issued in other countries by several other publishers.

Swami and Friends talks about the life of Swaminathan, a 10-year-old boy, his views on the world around him, his innocence, wonder, mischief and growing pains. He is a student at Albert Mission School, a school established by the British which gives importance to Christianity, English literature and education. His life is dramatically changed when Rajam - a symbol of colonial super power - joins the school and he and Rajam become friends.