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Another gift from vintage Ruskin Bond
Seal of the master: Author Ruskin Bond interacting with the students of Frank Anthony Public School in New Delhi on Wednesday.
NEW DELHI: It was a frank, humorous and engaging interaction between Mussoorie-based children’s writer Ruskin Bond and his little fans who carefully read every word or short story he meticulously crafts in his inimitable style.
After reading in high baritone excerpts from his latest labour of love “The Parrot Who Wouldn’t Talk and Other Stories” at The Frank Anthony Public School in Lajpat Nagar here on Wednesday, the noted writer said writing was a gift and he was fortunate to have readers from one generation to another. “I have had the good fortune of studying in good schools and having teachers who encouraged me to read and write. Hopefully, I will write more books in the years to come.”
The writer addressing the function, organised by the school alumni association ‘X-FAPSIANS’, admitted that he derived inspiration from not only his family members and friends but also from people he stumbles upon.
On the charge that he keeps bringing poltergeist into his books off and on, Ruskin said personally he didn’t believe in ghosts but he keeps writing about them. “But my ghost is a friendly one. Not what you see on television, they are pretty scary,” added Ruskin, whose writings have been inspired by characters, acquaintances and anecdotes from the hill stations of the Himalayas.
Sharing a real story of his school-going days in his characteristic humorous manner, the writer said once he had written about the “general appearance” of one of his boarding school masters.
“The master laid hands on my writing and after reading my description about him he summoned me into his office. He didn’t appreciate what I had written and threw the material into the dustbin. So I don’t want you to write about your school teachers or keep your writings lying down somewhere.”
Asked what he would have done to earn a living if he wasn’t a writer, Ruskin said at 75 he could only have been writing. “Playing football would have been a bit different to what I do now. Just the other day a football bounced down the road. I gave it a mighty kick but was hopping around in agony for half an hour,” he added amid loud guffaws.
Encouraging students to write and also become voracious readers, Ruskin said the ability to write well will stand them in good stead. “Even if you become a scientist you can still write a medical book. So you must read in a quiet environment and familiarise yourself with new words.”
Admitting that books were the best companion one could have, the writer defended the penetration of visual medium into children’s life but admitted that the terrorist attacks in Mumbai had a negative impact on impressionable minds.
“Everything has its place. I don’t want to blame the visual medium for lack of readers. In my school there were 35 boys of whom there were just three readers. Mind you at that time there was no Internet, video games or things we blame now. But books are something to fall back upon.”
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