At the Bharat Bhawan, in the morning on the last day of the Bhopal Literature and Arts festival on 27 March, 2022, Mr. Pascal Bruckner was in conversation with Dr. Sadhna Shanker, author and civil servant. The session titled ‘Guilt, Love, Longevity, Ecology and more’ was a freewheeling discussion that tried to capture many of the interesting, and often controversial ideas that he has written about. A French philosopher, essayist and novelist, he has authored more than 40 books to date!
Beginning with exploring his 2022 book, ‘The Friendship of the Mountain’, the discussion of less than an hour left the audience wanting to hear more. Born in Austria and brought up in Switzerland, Pascal explained that he has always been enchanted with the mountains and snow. Climbing a mountain for him is a metaphor for life. We struggle, face challenges and finally reach a summit to come down eventually. Reaching a goal is what gives meaning and happiness in the journey of life.
