Who hasn’t heard of Ruskin Bond? The great writer who has carried our childhood in his palms for generation after generation and written books which can never escape the hearts of young readers. Books like ‘The Room on the Roof’, ‘The Blue Umbrella’, ‘Delhi is not far’, ‘Angry River’ and many more are cherished by readers of all age groups even now.
This astounding personality and Padma Shri Awardee Ruskin Bond was being invited by Lovely Professional University on 6th October 2021 at 11 AM on their official YouTube channel fulfilling the dreams of countless writers and readers who have grown up under the shadow of his writing.
When asked about which genre a writer or a budding author should write, or whether should it be different or the same, he advised finding what suits you best and where you can express yourself well. It can range from poetry, short stories to fiction, novels, and novellas, and if you are interested to do some research, then biography as well. But one thing should always be remembered that writers are readers, and no one can be a good writer without first being a passionate reader. Your love for books intends you towards creating one of yours; it can be due to your desire for fame or simply your passion.
The next question was how to deal with failures and how to continue writing after it, to which he confessed that for publishing his first book, it took him two years and three drafts and a lot of patience and resilience to finally become a writer. He believes that one should have persistence, self-belief, and confidence as failures, disappointments and rejections are parts of our life and not everyone achieves overnight success. A lot of hard work leads to the desired results.
The question of whether simplicity should be the key and how to balance simplicity and effectiveness by not compromising writing style was answered by him pretty cleverly. He said that your writing should be very simple, neither too sophisticated. The use of exact words is the key and if it needs sophistication then use it, if it needs simplicity then use it too. You should use the language that suits you, your subject and your audience as over description can lead to loss of audience and readers.
The staggering answer to “How much do you read?” stunned everyone present there. In his 87 years, he has read over ten thousand books! (yes with four zeroes!). He started reading when he was 10 years old at his school library and used to read anything he got his hands on! He stated the inevitable fact of being a reader first, and then a writer – something that will reverberate in the hearts of every book lover! He solely chose to be a writer for his love of books and literature.
He also said that he never went to any College or University and he is glad that University students are reading his books too! He advised the students of LPU to make the most of their college and give their best.
So, that is the story of the most effortless and charming international writer, Ruskin Bond, we ever witnessed, and with the honor of inviting him for this session, LPU created history once again!
