Bonding with Ruskin

Shivangi Singh & Tanu Talwar Children assembled at Crossword Book Store to interact with India’s best-loved children’s author, Ruskin Bond, could barely contain their excitement.The hustle and bustle of ‘Select Citywalk’ at Saket in New Delhi could not divert attention from the author who was there to read from his latest book – ‘The Parrot Who Wouldn’t Talk and Other Stories’ published by Puffin – the children’s imprint of Penguin India. Ruskin Bond, although dressed in smart casuals, looked like a child himself with his innocent and genial disposition. Chubby cheeks, pot belly, ruddy complexion, complete with oval shaped glasses - he seemed to have walked in straight out of one of his books. The author, visibly taken aback by the huge gathering said, “I am very happy. So, many of you have turned up here and am glad that more than half of you are children. I am here to talk with you and answer your questions. I want to know about you, your ambitions, your views on nature, mountains and rivers.” Talking about his latest book, the writer said, “There are humorous, funny, delightful stories. Some are about crazy relatives like Uncle Ken and others based on my childhood experiences in school, my exploits. I wish to write more about my school days.” Bond read from his book and the crowd listened attentively to the affable writer’s funny stories. Spicezee team dared to interrupt, when children-author interaction began. Suddenly conscious and embarrassed on being so ‘grown-up’, we put up a few questions: Spicezee: Your child protagonist is never from a metropolitan city. Would you like to write about a child, who is from, say Delhi? Ruskin: Yes, definitely. In the boarding school, lot of children were from Delhi. I have spent a lot of time in Delhi, but a lot has changed since then. There were no five stars at my time. But I think I would write something. Spicezee: Your ‘The Blue Umbrella’ has been adapted into a film by Vishal Bharadwaj. Well, do you think movie adaptation of books kills the essence of writing? Ruskin: No, it depends on the director. Vishal Bharadwaj did justice to my work. It was very musical and sensitively made, which added to the charm. He carefully handled the mood of the film. Spicezee: Please tell us about your upcoming book? Ruskin: (laughs heartily) I am writing a crime thriller. Spicezee: You are writing two scripts for Vishal Bharadwaj, can you tell us something about it? Ruskin: I have finished the first one, but I am afraid I can’t reveal anything on it. Spicezee: Your novels are technically flawless, have you undergone any training or the like? Ruskin: I haven’t undergone any training but I may be influenced by other authors. Ruskin’s interaction with children was on a different level – a level, we could sense but could not reach. Here are a few questions put up by his little readers: Q: What inspires you to write? Ruskin: People inspire me. Children inspire me. Young people give me ideas and when I run out of ideas concerning humans I write about animals. And when I run out of ideas on animals, I turn to humans again. Q: How do you write stories? Ruskin: That’s a very important question. I write by my hand. Q: Which is your most fascinating pet? Ruskin: A python. And I did not get into trouble because it swallowed cats and dogs and did not need a lot of feeding. So, it was very economical. Q: Which is your favourite story? Ruskin: I enjoyed writing about Uncle Ken. Children like reading about a grown up, who is always in trouble. Q: Sir, how old are you? Ruskin: Well, I am 74 and it’s no secret. Q: Your stories establish a bond with the readers. How do you develop it? Ruskin: It is not a conscious effort. I am glad it happens. Q: What are your hobbies? Ruskin: I like to play football but at 74, I can’t play. Just a few days back few boys were playing football and I came on the road. The ball hit me and that’s why I am hopping around in agony. Q: Please give us some tips on writing? Ruskin: You don’t need tips. You write what you feel like. Q: What would you be, if you weren’t a writer? Ruskin: Nothing, actually. I would have not done anything. Q: Please tell us about your first novel? Ruskin: No one wanted to publish my first work. It got rejected. I wrote the draft three times and then I got a publisher who wanted my book. In the course of interaction, Ruskin Bond expressed a little concern over children losing their innocence very early. He said, “Now that everything is in the open, children grow up early. We need to protect their innocence.” After the interactive session, we witnessed children flocking to him to get their books signed. We grown-ups moved away, leaving the children’s best-loved author to bond with his little admirers.