Author to release three titles in Mussoorie amid friends and fans as he turns 83. Jaskiran Chopra chats him up before the big day
On May 19, Ruskin Bond, the living legend of the Himalayas, will turn 83. However, when one talks to him or meets him, age becomes just a number. Nothing seems to have really changed about him or for him. His deep love for the hills, his attachment to his memories of the Doon valley, his simple daily routine, his interest in people, his endearing laughter are just like they have always been. like the mountains he has been in love with, Bond too is consistent, constant and always there. One just has to reach out for him and he is there with his affectionate smile.
Thousands of people have been reaching out to him through reading his books down the generations. He is the clear, beautiful and resonant voice of the mountains which has been heard by lovers of literature the world over for the past seven decades, right from the time he wrote his first novella, The Room on the Roof, as a teenager.
Before each birthday, this wonderful writer wonders whether he can have a “quiet little one” this time. But it is not possible for him. There are innumerable fans, admirers and friends who wait all year to celebrate this special day with their beloved author. He surely would not like to disappoint them. “I get so many birthday cakes. I do not eat them as my figure does not allow it!”, he told The Pioneer on the eve of his big day. “When I had just come in to Mussoorie and settled down here more than 50 years ago, I could have quiet birthdays. But no more.”
like last year, two new books of the prolific author will be released at the Cambridge Book Depot here on May 19. The first one is very special for Bond as, he says, “It has been written by me as a gift to myself.” This is a book about his father and is a tribute to him by the author, who lost his father when he was only 10 years old. “It is about the two years I spent with my father in New Delhi. All those memories have been re-gathered by me with all the feeling I could put in.” The book, titled looking for the Rainbow, has been published by Puffin Books. It is an illustrated work.
The second book is Confessions of a Book lover, which is a sequel to the author’s earlier work love Among the Book Shelves. This talks about 10 authors who have been close to Bond’s heart. He opens a window to his earliest encounters with incredible writers and their wonderful writings to introduce you to the stories that played a significant role in moulding his imagination as a full-time writer. Confessions of a Book lover is a journey into Bond’s life through the books he has loved and an introduction to some forgotten classics by authors like Conrad, H.G.Wells and Virgina Woolf. This has been published by Penguin. A third book, which is almost done, is the author’s autobiography (text and pictures) which will be released in June. It is being published by Speaking Tiger and is titled lone Fox Dancing: An Autobiography. lone Fox Dancing is the title of one of Bond’s early poems. “I wanted to have an unconventional title and this sounded fine”.
So, it’s going to be a busy birthday for Bond sa’ab again. The editorial team from Puffin will be here and so will be hundreds of tourists who include a large number of fans.
Bond’s name has become synonymous with Mussoorie and Dehradun, with hills and stories of simple people, told tongue-in-cheek and with an all-embracing warmth and candour. He is no longer just a writer. He means many things to many people. An icon of excellence for some, an inspiration for others, a symbol of simplicity and good humour for many and a weaver of exquisite tales for a lot of his admirers and fans.
On this occasion, he again shared memories of his childhood days in the Doon valley with me. “I spent many a holiday at the Doon valley residence of my maternal grandfather, William Dudley Clerke, who was one of the early pioneers to bring the railways to Dehradun. In fact, he retired and settled down in Dehradun in 1900, the year when the first train arrived at Doon’s railway station. Dilaram Bazaar, which was quite near our house, was one of my favourite places as the bakers there made mouth-watering nan-khatais which I used to simply love.” Do not forget to have some nan-khatais on your birthday, dear Bond sa’ab, and keep giving us wondrous stories!