An Evening In Bangalore With Ruskin Bond!

Ruskin Bond might not be the Bond we see jumping off buildings, fighting with villians and working for the secret service, but this man has managed to entertain us with his simple story telling skills and highly entertaining writing. An Anglo Indian of British descent, Ruskin Bond was born in a military hospital in Kasauli, and while he was forced to return to England, he couldn't get India out of his mind. He yearned to come back. Once he returned to India, there was no looking back. He made India his home, and adopted a boy from the hills, and now he is a proud grandfather!

His simple style and his fondness for children has made him one of the most beloved authors all over the world. Mr Bond was in Bangalore to be a part of Landmark and Penguin India's 25th anniversary celebrations with the launch of his new book of poems titled "Hip Hop Nature Boy and Other Poems". The event took place at the Landmark store in Forum Mall, on the 6th of June. He even read out an excerpt from his new book to a group of eager children and adults alike.

Still climbing trees,

I fell instead -

And landed on my head.

Feeling lighter,

I thought I might become a writer.

Hip-hop, dancing in the rain,

A nature-writer I became!

When the children asked him for tips to become a good writer he said "To become a good writer, you first need to become a good reader" Mr Bond, calmly answered all the questions asked by his readers and commented that his inspiration to write was David Copperfield. Another question asked to him by a child was "Ruskin Sir, why are you so round?" To which he replied in good humor "Wasn't Ganeshji round too? See how much everybody loves him!"

Landmark and Penguin India have organized a "Landmark Ruskin Bond Tour" across three cities in India - Bengaluru, Chennai and Delhi to celebrate their contribution to the joy of reading. Mr Ruskin Bond's presence was significant as many of his books have been published by Penguin and retailed by Landmark. Landmark is known for hosting famous authors and artists from all across the world. Their guest list includes international authors like Jeffrey Archer, Ken Follet, Wilbur Smith and Salman Rushdie. Music artists like Swarathma, Sukhwinder and Soulmate among others have also been hosted by Landmark.

On this special occasion, Puffin is offering a discount of 25% on all Puffin books at the Landmark Stores only! So, all Ruskin Bond fans can head to the book store to buy his new book, "Hip Hop Nature Boy and Other Poems".