GREAT WRITERS

Ruskin Bond awarded Ramnath Goenka Sahithya Samman for Lifetime Achievement

Legendary writer Ruskin Bond was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award  of the Ramnath Goenka Sahithya Samman awards on 15 November this year.

Ruskin Bond could not attend the Award ceremony personally. He, however, sent a video message from Mussoorie, saying, "This is really a happy moment for me. Here I am in my 91st year receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award and I only wish I could be with you. I am sending my beloved granddaughter Srishti to receive the award because I am certainly not going to let it pass me by. Thank you for the citation and the honour."

Ruskin Bond (born May 19, 1934) is renowned for his contributions to children's literature and adult fiction. He is one of India's most admired and prolific writers.

Ruskin Bond began writing at an early age. His first novel, "The Room on the Roof," was published in 1956. The book received the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize in 1957, making Bond one of the youngest authors to receive the award.

Ruskin Bond has written more than 500 short stories, essays, and novels, including 69 books for children. His writing mainly explores themes of nature, love, friendship, and  human nature. Some of his notable works include:

The Room on the Roof (1956), The Blue Umbrella (1974), A Flight of Pigeons (1978),।Time Stops at Shamli" (1989), Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra" (1991), Rain in the Mountains" (1993), Delhi Is Not Far" (1994) "The Best of Ruskin Bond (1994), The Room on the Roof" (1995),  Coming Round the Mountain" (1999), Tales of Fosterganj" (2001), The India I Love" (2001), A Face in the Dark and Other Haunt (2002), The Adventures of Rusty" (2004), The Wind on Haunted Hill" (2006), The Parrot Who Wouldn't Talk and Other Stories" (2007), The Book of Nature (2010) Mahabharata for Children (2013), Looking for the Rainbow" (2014), A Bond with Nature" (2016), Confessions of a Bookworm" (2017), The Great Train Journey" (2018), The World Outside My Window" (2020), and A Little Book of Love and Companionship (2020).

Ruskin Bond has received a number of awards and honors for his contributions to literature, including:

- John Llewellyn Rhys Prize (1957)

- Sahitya Akademi Award (1992)

- Padma Shri (1999), 

- Padma Bhushan (2014),

- Sahitya Akademi Fellowship (2021)

Ruskin Bond lives in Landour, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, with his adopted family. He is known for his simple lifestyle.

D P.Pant/FB112024