Interview

Whenever in Mussoorie, Bill and I walk the talk, mostly. At the end of any lit-meet or get-together he usually lingers a while absorbing the ambiance before making the move, and I catch him on the trot.

The world’s largest free literary festival JLF was still five years away when I met writer Namita Golchale for the first time. In a letter dated 15 January 2001, in response to my note which I had courier ed a week earlier, she wrote: “I would be happy to meet you during your visit to Delhi. Please give me a call upon your arrival and we will fix up a mutually convenient time.”

Ruskin Bond, who turned eighty-six on May 19, 2020, is one of the few writers who never bothered abut fame. Putting his pen to paper, he narrates stories that are delightful and meaningful. He is one of India’s most prolific wirters, whose work has touched the lives of millions of people – children and adults alike.