By Arun Kumar Singhal
Mr Ruskin Bond, one of India’s most beloved storytellers, has spent a lifetime surrounded by books, writing from his quiet perch in the hills of Mussoorie. His relationship with reading is not merely intellectual, it is emotional, intimate, and deeply life-affirming. For him, books are not objects but companions that shape character, nurture imagination, and widen one’s understanding of the world.
Through an unsettled childhood and long stretches of solitude, Mr Bond found in books the warmth, stability, and affection that real life did not always offer. Even today, he speaks of them the way others speak of cherished friendships. To him, reading is an act of companionship – the page listens when the world does not, and stories offer shelter when life feels uncertain.
This philosophy is central to what he gives to all. As a storyteller who captures the magic of rain-washed hills, whispering pines, and sleepy Himalayan towns, he sees reading as a gateway into wonder. Every child who picks up a book enters a world where imagination is limitless and where empathy quietly grows.
I was reminded of this gift last week at the inaugural session of the Dehradun Literature Festival at Doon International School. Mr Bond inaugurated the festival through a video message—age may now limit his presence at large gatherings, yet his words carried the same warmth and gentle wisdom we associate with him. Standing like a grand oak at the crossroads of time, his voice remains steady and reassuring, offering guidance to young minds.
He reminded the audience of a truth he often shares: “Before a writer learns to shape words on a page, they must learn to lose themselves in the pages of others.”
In that simple sentence lies the essence of creativity. Every true writer begins as a devoted reader. All writing first takes root in attentive reading, in listening to the voices, rhythms, and emotions expressed by those who came before us.
His message resonated powerfully with the gathering of guests and school children present that day. It felt as though he was speaking directly to all but especially to the youngsters, encouraging them to read not as an academic task but as a source of joy, imagination, and self-discovery. That, truly, is his gift not only for the next generation but for all: the understanding that reading nurtures curiosity, strengthens empathy, and gently leads one toward expression.
Over the years, I have met Mr Bond on a few occasions. Even in those brief interactions, he never failed to remind me that reading plants the seeds of creativity. Hearing his message again at the festival brought back that lesson with renewed clarity. It urged me to pass this wisdom forward to those who may not have the blessing of hearing him themselves.
What Mr Bond so beautifully implies is that writing is the flowering of seeds sown through reading—a quiet, natural unfolding. Without reading, there can be no writer, for books remain the wellspring from which every story is born.
As I pray for his continued good health, I hope that young readers—and readers of every age—embrace the precious gift he offers so generously: the love of reading, and through it, the courage to imagine and to create.
(Arun Kumar Singhal, a resident of Dehradun for over five decades, is an economist and author.)
