L-R: Moderator Akshat Gupta along with Kapish Mehra, Publisher and Managing Director of Rupa Publications; Shristi Bond, Director of the Ruskin Bond Foundation; Siddarth Bond, Founder of the foundation;
Held at Hyatt Dehradun on September 15, 2026, the session featured Shristi Bond, Director of the Ruskin Bond Foundation; Siddarth Bond, Founder of the foundation; and Kapish Mehra, Publisher and Managing Director of Rupa Publications. Over the past 25–35 years, Mehra said, what has continued to impress him is Bond’s extraordinary ability to notice things. Because he has always understood that the smallest moments can contain the biggest stories, and perhaps that is also why Ruskin Bond’s stories continue to feel so timeless:.
“He finds magic in the simplest things that are around him,” she said. “These are not memories per se, but these are traits of a genius,” Mehra said. The aim, he said, is not simply to provide infrastructure and facilities, but to help children develop confidence and greater opportunities.
For generations of readers, Ruskin Bond ’s stories have made the hills seem less like a distant landscape and more like a place you’ve known personally — misty mornings, quiet roads, familiar faces and the small moments that often go unnoticed. But what is the man behind those stories really like? At TOI Dialogs Uttarakhand: Stories from the Hills, a conversation titled ‘The Story Behind the Storyteller’ offered an insight into the everyday habits, values and remarkable attention to detail that have made Bond’s literary life what it is. Author Akshat Gupta moderated the conversation. The discipline behind the magic Asked what Bond does that people may not know about, Siddarth spoke about a quality that has remained constant throughout his grandfather’s writing life: discipline. Bond wakes up every morning, watches the sunrise from his window and writes. Even if he manages only a page, or two lines, he makes sure he puts something down. If an idea strikes him at 2am, he notes it immediately. For Siddarth, that consistency is one of the biggest lessons Bond has passed on to the family. Shristi, meanwhile, highlighted something more intangible: Bond’s ability to find magic in ordinary life. He also gives people his complete attention. Whoever happens to be sitting with him, Shristi explained, gets the feeling that they have all the time in the world with him. Turning ordinary people into unforgettable characters For Kapish Mehra, his relationship with Bond goes back decades. He first knew him during his school days and eventually began publishing his books while he was in college. At a time when most people’s attention is constantly being pulled in different directions, Bond never lets a moment simply pass by. Mehra recalled how Bond has incorporated seemingly ordinary people from their lives into his stories, including a driver who was hard of hearing but regularly drove him from Dehradun to Mussoorie, and a household chef who could not even make an omelette particularly well. What might appear insignificant to someone else can become, in Bond’s hands, a memorable character, a scene or even an entire chapter. It is this attention to detail, combined with an enduring love for his craft, that Mehra believes makes Bond unique. Taking Bond’s values beyond his books The conversation also turned to the Ruskin Bond Foundation and what it hopes to carry forward. Siddarth explained that the foundation is about taking Bond’s values beyond his books, particularly by supporting underprivileged children in the mountains and remote areas of Uttarakhand. For Siddarth, the foundation is also a way of giving back to the people and the place that have given his family so much love. Asked what Bond himself would most want the foundation to protect, Shristi pointed to values that have long been visible in his writing: love for nature, education, sincerity, responsibility and respect. Perhaps that is the story behind the storyteller: not one grand secret, but a lifetime of noticing, writing, caring and finding meaning in the seemingly ordinary. To know more about TOI Dialogues Uttarakhand : Stories of the Hills, CLICK HERE. Looking for trusted parenting advice? Follow TOI Parenting Circle on Instagram for expert guidance, relatable stories, and practical tips delivered every day. Get the latest Lifestyle News and more. Download the TOI app.