There are no terrible secrets in my life: Ruskin Bond
Apart from his autobiography, Bond is working on a collection of mystery stories and a book on nature
Ruskin Bond, the much-loved Indian author who has regaled generations of booklovers with his fictional tales, is finally penning the story of his own life, and the autobiography will be out by December.
“I had been hoping to write it for a long time, but began working on it only about a year ago,” says the 82-year-old Padma Bhushan awardee, who lives in the picturesque Landour town of Mussoorie.
Ask him if he is planning to spill the beans on secrets of his life, and the affable littérateur is quick to add, “Well, I dare not (reveal any secret). In fact, there are no terrible secrets in my life.”
Noting how people look for “something sensational” in everything nowadays, the writer quips that he may as well have to “invent” some secrets for making his life story interesting.
“More or less I’ve had a quiet and peaceful life, so I guess that will be the appeal of the book. But I may have to invent a couple of them (secrets) to add some chatpata (spicy) content in my book,” he says.
Besides the autobiography, Bond also has some other projects in the pipeline. “I am working on a collection of mystery stories, most of them set in the past. I am also writing a book on nature articles and stories,” says the diehard nature lover, who grew up in places like Jamnagar, Dehradun and Shimla and stayed in England briefly before settling in Mussoorie in the 1960s.
Born in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh on May 19, 1934, Bond’s first book The Room on the Roof was published when he was 17 and since then he has penned numerous memorable titles including A Town Called Dehra, The Adventures of Rusty, Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra and The Night Train At Deoli. His works including A Flight of Pigeons, The Blue Umbrella and Susanna’s Seven Husbands have been turned into films.
