Captivating storyteller Ruskin Bond will celebrate his 79th birthday on May 19 in Dehradun, with the release of his best-selling book A Garland of Memories.
The event will be held at Natraj, The Green Bookshop, at 5 pm in the presence of Uttarakhand Principal Secretary Radha Raturi and Uttarakhand Additional Director General of Police Anil Raturi will be there. A swarm of fans and friends of the world renowned author are expected to attend.
“We propose to invite all his readers and fans to come, meet and greet the legendary writer, who has more than 100 books to his credit. A Garland of Memories, that will be released on the occasion, is special to Bond as it narrates his account of the gone by, good old and charming city Doon was once upon a time. In vintage Bond style, expect this collection of his writings to make you smile, laugh and cry,” Upendra Arora, proprietor Natraj Publishers, told The Pioneer.
A Garland of Memories is a collection of short stories based on a rainbow of the fondest memories of India’s most popular writer, among children and adults alike.
Bond narrates the most extraordinary tales — from his chance encounter with Rudyard Kipling’s ghost, to his adventures with eccentric Uncle Ken, being witness to a bitter battle between a brave snake, a braver mongoose and two foolhardy birds; it’s about the hungry pet python who ate up everyone’s lunch and the mythical snow-woman who almost exists.
All stories, told in Bond’s unique, lucid, simple prose, are based on life and its experiences and nudge open a window into the reader’s self. They are also a sterling example of the often forgotten harmony between man and nature.
Back from Bond’s first novel, titled The Room on The Roof, that he wrote at the age of 17, there are today over 300 stories, essays and novels that the ace author has penned, the mountains having been the theme for a large part of these.