Ruskin Bond, the master author who has filled our worlds with magic for the past so many decades, turned 89 last month. And, to celebrate the craft and genius of the literary giant, Storyteller Bookstore organised a book-reading session with its young patrons on May 19. The session was led by Madhurima Vidyarthi, the author of the touching narrative My Grandmother’s Masterpiece. She kept the young ones engaged with Bond’s latest read – The Golden Years: The Many Joys of Living a Good Long Life. Published by HarperCollins India the book is a collection of essays and reflections on ageing, written by Bond in his late 80s. In the book, Bond poses an important question — 'Why should we stop at 60?' To clarify the rationale behind why people shouldn’t confine their creative output to a specific age, he urges people to live their lives without restrictions.
Srinjoy Maulick of Dolna Day School recited two poems by Ruskin Bond.
Vidyarthi, who grew up reading Bond and his stories, read a few passages from the new book along with an interesting passage from The Night Train at Deoli, another book by Bond, that inspires her. “The pleasure of writing is for yourself,” remarked Vidyarthi talking about the main inspiration for her decision to become a writer. She hoped that it would inspire other writers as well.
Mayura Misra, the proprietor of Storyteller Bookstore, spoke about the idea of building a community through her store where people can gather and share information. She also spoke about spreading the word about independent bookstores like this one, which has been essential for fostering interpersonal relationships, where people can enjoy the books and read as a group, discussing literature.