John Llewellyn Rhys Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 16 (1957) Winner
Ruskin Bond
ラスキン・ボンド
Rasukin Bondo
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1934-05-19 （Kasauli, Punjab States Agency, British India (now Himachal Pradesh, India)）
- Nationality
- India
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Christianity (Anglo-Indian background)
- Residence History
- Kasauli (birthplace) → Jamnagar (early childhood, briefly) → Dehradun (raised, early writing) → Mussoorie (long-term residence) → Landour (Ivy Cottage) → London (stayed as a youth; began first novel) → Delhi (freelance years)
Career
- Occupations
- Author, Poet
- Active Years
- 1951-2025
- Influenced By
- Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Richmal Crompton, Charles Hamilton
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop Cotton School (Shimla) | — | — | — | 〜1951 | India |
Bishop Cotton School (Shimla)
Period:
〜1951
Year of Graduation:
1951
Country:
India
Won several writing prizes while at school
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | John Llewellyn Rhys Prize | The Room on the Roof | — | John Llewellyn Rhys Prize (trust/organisers) | 受賞 |
| 1992 | Sahitya Akademi Award (English) | Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra | — | Sahitya Akademi | 受賞 |
| 1999 | Padma Shri | — | 文学・教育 | Government of India (Ministry of Home Affairs) | 受賞 |
| 2012 | Bal Sahitya Puraskar | — | 児童文学 | Sahitya Akademi | 受賞 |
| 2014 | Padma Bhushan | — | 文学・教育 | Government of India (Ministry of Home Affairs) | 受賞 |
John Llewellyn Rhys Prize
1957
Work:
The Room on the Roof
Organization:
John Llewellyn Rhys Prize (trust/organisers)
Result:
受賞
Sahitya Akademi Award (English)
1992
Work:
Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra
Organization:
Sahitya Akademi
Result:
受賞
Padma Shri
1999
Category:
文学・教育
Organization:
Government of India (Ministry of Home Affairs)
Result:
受賞
Bal Sahitya Puraskar
2012
Category:
児童文学
Organization:
Sahitya Akademi
Result:
受賞
Padma Bhushan
2014
Category:
文学・教育
Organization:
Government of India (Ministry of Home Affairs)
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Room on the Roof
1956 Novel (semi-autobiographical)A semi-autobiographical novel following the orphaned boy Rusty and his coming-of-age in India; Ruskin Bond's first novel.
coming-of-ageidentitycultural encounter
Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra
1992 Short stories / EssaysA collection of short stories and essays centered on Dehradun and the Himalayan region; winner of the Sahitya Akademi Award.
nostalgianaturelocal culture
The Blue Umbrella
Children's literatureA short children's story set in a small town; adapted into a film by Vishal Bhardwaj in 2005.
childhoodnatureinnocence
Adaptations
- [Film] The Blue Umbrella (film) / Vishal Bhardwaj (2005)
A Flight of Pigeons
Historical fiction / NovellaA story set during the Indian Rebellion of 1857; adapted into the 1978 film Junoon directed by Shyam Benegal.
historyviolence and humanitycultural conflict
Adaptations
- [Film] Junoon / Shyam Benegal (1978)
Angry River
1972 Children's literatureA work toned down for a children's audience on the publisher's request; popular among young readers.
forces of naturecourage
Bibliography
- The Room on the Roof
- Vagrants in the Valley
- Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra
- A Flight of Pigeons
- The Blue Umbrella
- Angry River
- Scenes from a Writer's Life
- Lone Fox Dancing
Adaptations
- Junoon (film, 1978) — based on A Flight of Pigeons
- The Blue Umbrella (film, 2005) — directed by Vishal Bhardwaj
- Ek Tha Rusty (Doordarshan TV series)
- Parchhayee: Ghost Stories by Ruskin Bond (web series, Zee5)
- 7 Khoon Maaf (cameo appearance, 2011)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- observational, lyrical styleconcise and visual prose (describes himself as a 'visual writer')
- Recurring Motifs
- Himalayan hill stations and small-town lifechildhood and adolescent perspectiveloneliness and nostalgianature and seasonal detail
Legacy
Ruskin Bond is a much-loved figure in Indian English literature, particularly children's literature. Over more than five decades he produced hundreds of stories, essays and children's books, receiving major honours such as the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Padma Bhushan. Many of his works have entered school syllabuses and been adapted for film and television.
In Popular Culture
- Numerous adaptations of his works for film, television and web (e.g. Junoon, The Blue Umbrella, Ek Tha Rusty, Parchhayee)
- Several short stories included in Indian school curricula (e.g. The Night Train at Deoli)
Quotes
-
“That I have been able to write for so long. I started at the age of 17 or 18 and I am still writing.”
Source: Interview (NDTV; cited 2012) (2012)
Trivia
- Has authored over 500 short stories, essays and novels, including around 69 children's books.
- Wrote The Room on the Roof at age 17; published at 22 and won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize (1957).
- Has lived for decades in Landour (Ivy Cottage) near Mussoorie (since around 1980).
- The Blue Umbrella was adapted into a 2005 film which won the National Film Award for Best Children's Film.