Notes from a Small Room (Paperback)  | Released: 15 Jul 2009

'It's the simple things in life that keep us from going crazy;' Ruskin Bond writes in this enchanting collection of essays; a celebration of the uncomplicated pleasures of a life well-lived. In 'A Good Philosophy' we learn of Bond's life philosophy; or the lack of it; and 'In Search of the Perfect Window' we join him in meditating on the qualities of a good window and its importance to a room. Whether contemplating the sound of a tropical downpour; on the fragrance of lime trees in the Himalayas or on a year spent with his cat Suzie; Ruskin Bond transports us to a quieter; more elegant world where time moves at a gentle pace. He invites us to revel in the intricacies of life and to poke fun at its absurdities; with insight; wisdom and wit.About the Author: Ruskin Bond's first novel, The Room on the Roof, written when he was seventeen, won the John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize in 1957. Since then he has written several novellas (including Vagrants in the Valley, A Flight of Pigeons and Delhi Is Not Far), essays, poems and children's books, many of which have been published by Penguin India. He has also written over 500 short stories and articles that have appeared in a number of magazines and anthologies. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1993 and the Padma Shri in 1999. Ruskin Bond was born in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, and grew up in Jamnagar, Dehradun, Delhi and Shimla. As a young man, he spent four years in the Channel Islands and London. He returned to India in 1955 and has never left the country since. He now lives in Landour, Mussoorie, with his adopted family.