A lifetime of stories

Ruskin Bond’s picturesque prose evokes a certain sense of nostalgia in perhaps all of us, but more so for the author, whose life experiences have accounted for most of his writing. Sixty years of writing and several hundred books later, the author says he is a “writer without regrets.”

And he is extremely humbled on receiving the Padma Bhushan, one of the highest civilian awards in the country. Ruskin says, “I am just a storyteller whereas people who normally get these awards have been in the public eye for a long time and have done great service to the country. In a way, I may have served Indian children by giving them something to read over the years, and I am grateful that the country I love has honoured me.”

Nearing 80, the author is in no mood to slow down, and has three books releasing this summer. While Best of Bond is a compilation of his best works, Jungle Omnibus is a collection of stories written at different points in his writing career about wildlife and animals. The final book is a part memoir, part anthology titled Love Among the Bookshelves, where the author speaks about the books which have influenced him in his growing up years.

Ruskin admits that all those years back, if he hadn’t decided to return to India after the release of his first book The Room on the Roof, he would still have been a writer for sure, but may be not the kind he had aspired to be as a young boy. “I would have still written about children and for children, but the settings and characters would have been more European. But I guess India is the place I wanted to come back to and write about. And living here for all these years has been good for my writing. I think I wouldn’t have been as good a writer as I am if I had not come back,” adds the author.

Although, a lot of his childhood and growing up years are reflected in his work, the author feels that it isn’t a compulsion for a writer to look into his/her own life for inspiration. “There are all kinds of writers. The subjective ones (like me) write better out of their own lives. And there are the objective ones, the likes of Jules Verne or J.K. Rowling, who are highly imaginative and can create adventure and fantasy stories which are not at all related to their lives. So I guess it depends on the kind of person you are and that affects the kind of writer you become.”

Since the time he first started putting stories to paper, a lot has changed. His books have found their way to the Internet, and to e-book readers, and have been made into movies. Yet, time has taken a reverse gear for Ruskin Bond, who has gone back to pen and paper and writing longhand.

“I used to be quite a fast typist but now I feel uncomfortable while working on the typewriter. It gives me a stiff neck and a backache,” says the author laughing heartily.

“For the last ten years, everything I have done is handwritten and since I don’t make many changes, it is usually the first version which goes to print,” he adds.

And with age, his outlook towards life has changed too. While the young Ruskin took life a little too seriously and was admittedly a sentimental romantic, with years he has come to see and appreciate the funny side of it.

He says, “I had a rather lonely childhood and I wasn’t a very social person till I was in my 20s. As a young man, I never had too much money, so I did all kind of jobs. But as time passed, I started reflecting back with a sense of fondness. As a result, my writing has also become funnier and more philosophical.”

Quite aware of the current crop of young authors from the country, Ruskin Bond advises aspiring writers to keep striving come what may. “Don’t be discouraged if your work is not initially appreciated. That happens to a lot of writers. But persevere, keep at it. Always try to work on your style and improve yourself, and most importantly, respect the language you write in.”

The author, who will turn 80 on May 19, says his birthday will be like any other day except for one tiny difference: “Usually I have one egg for breakfast but on my birthday I will have two.”