Renowned English writer Ruskin Bond received the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, the highest honor from the Sahitya Akademi, today.
Due to his poor health, the award was presented to him at his home in Mussoorie by Sahitya Akademi President Madhav Kaushik and Secretary K. Sreenivasarao, with Bond’s son also present.
Born on May 19, 1934, in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, Ruskin Bond has been writing for over 50 years, exploring various literary forms. He writes in a beautiful and vivid way, making readers feel like they’re right there in the story.
Bond has written more than 50 books for children as well as over 500 short stories, essays and novellas. His early works include collections of stories and novels, along with some autobiographical pieces. He later ventured into non-fiction, romance, and children’s literature, with essays and stories being his favourites.
Bond’s first novel, published when he was only 17-year-old, The Room on the Roof gained immense popularity when it was released. The novel was also awarded the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize in 1957.
His other notable works include “Vagrants in the Valley,” “Once Upon a Monsoon Time,” “Angry River,” “Strangers in the Night,” “All Roads Lead to Ganga,” “Tales of Fosterganj,” “Leopard on the Mountain,” and “Too Much Trouble.”
The 1978 Hindi film “Junoon” is based on his historical novel “A Flight of Pigeons,” set during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. His stories have been adapted into TV serials and included in school curricula across India. Additionally, his popular children’s novel “The Blue Umbrella” was adapted into a film in 2005.
In 2011, Bond had a cameo appearance in the film “7 Khoon Maaf,” directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, which is based on his story “Susanna’s Seven Husbands.”
Bond received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1992 for his story collection “Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra” and has been honored with the Padma Shri in 1999 and Padma Bhushan in 2019 by the Government of India. He also received the Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Award in 2012.
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