Born on May 19 in 1934, in Kasauli, Bond grew up in Jamnagar, Shimla, New Delhi, and Dehradun. He made Landour his permanent home in 1963
Landour, the quiet mountain town in Uttarakhand, has for years drawn fans hoping to catch a glimpse of the reclusive Bond -- perhaps sipping tea at the famous Chaar Dukaan, a cluster of shops along a winding road, or through the window of his sunroom
Bond released his debut novel "The Room on the Roof" in 1956, nearly 70 years ago and has since written over 500 literary works
In fact, the writer reveals that his first book of poems sold 20 copies and he gave away a few copies, hoping for some kind reader's approval
Bond has received numerous awards and honours, including the Sahitya Akademi Award for English writing in 1992, the Padma Shri in 1999, the Padma Bhushan in 2014 and the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship in 2021
Some of Bonds favourite books, who he likes to call his "special friends", include an early Penguin edition of Richard Jefferies' "The Story of My Heart", JR Ackerley's "Hindoo Holiday" (first published in 1930) and P.G Wodehouse's "Meet Mr. Mulliner"
At a time when he suffers from dwindling eyesight and gout, he finds joy in things like a cosmos flower in bloom, the song of a whistling thrush, or the glow of fireflies on a rainy night
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