Tiger’s Nest Monastery located in Paro, Bhutan is the most well known tourist site in country.
Little does the rest of the world know that Bhutan also holds an international literary festival every August called Mountain Echoes!
In 2018, the dates for the festival are from 22nd to 25th August.
Find the Programme Schedule for Mountain Echoes, here!
Last year in 2017, the festival had Ruskin Bond as one of its speakers and I was thrilled to not only get to hear him and see him but to get his autograph on not one but two books, since he was kind enough, even at his age, to give us all autographs!
As a bookworm, book dragon or Kitab Sherni, I was over the moon, to say the least. Ruskin Bond stories have always been, to be absolutely shamelessly cliched, a part of my growing up. From reading his short stories in school syllabus to running away from home along with Rusty, to knowing about his extended family to meandering in the hills of Musoorie or simply exploring a random, small unknown train station, I devoured his stories.
So every time, I would go to Mussoorie, where he stays, I would always have this urge that probably we will get to see him or visit him. But due to something or the other, that never happened.
Who knew we would get to meet in a different country as picturesque and as close to his nature related writing as Bhutan?
Plus, the session was top-notch! The questions were to the point and Bond had a cute, grandpa like answer for everything.
The question and answer round session at the end of his talk was even more entertaining as the children in the audience asked quite relevant and interesting questions. My favourite was when one student asked if he would write a book on Bhutan?
He did say that he would love to as it reminds him of Mussoorie but that he would have to stay in Bhutan for a bit longer to get to know the place better and to write a good book set there!
Oh I so so wish that that day would come soon!
To see the session, click here.
The books I got signed are titled, The Room on the Roof and Love Among the Bookshelves (A review coming up on it soon!)
To read my other book reviews of Ruskin Bond books, go here.
Does this encourage you to take a trip to Bhutan?
Well it should.
If it is already too late to schedule anything right now, there is always next year, right?
Just remember, Mountain Echoes happens every August. They also have a Facebook page where you can keep up to date about all the ongoing and upcoming events.
So in case, you can’t make it this year, there is always the next.
Till then, social media to the rescue!
The Book Cafe 
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