“The Oak has a memory that Acorn builds.”

Acorn to Oak is a celebration of growing up, belonging, and remembering. Set against the backdrop of a school nestled in the misty hills of northern India, this anthology gathers voices from across generations – recalling moments that shaped their childhood to youth, and continue to linger in their memories as adults.

These stories are not about classrooms, uniforms, or rules, but about friendships that endured, lessons that went beyond textbooks, and the quiet courage that growing up demands. They capture the innocence of discovery, the sting of discipline, the joy of rebellion, and the grace of forgiveness – emotions familiar to anyone who has ever called a school their second home.

Through humour, honesty, and affection, the writers revisit a world defined by shared laughter, whispered secrets, and the endless tug-of-war between freedom and responsibility. Together, these recollections form an anthology of nostalgia and truth – a reminder that schools, in all their imperfections, shape who we become.

Whether you once walked the corridors of this hamlet of a school or any other beloved institution, Acorn to Oak invites you to pause, remember, and smile at the echoes of your own growing years.

Authors – Abhishek Choudhary, Abhishek Sengupta, Amit Suri, Maj Gen Anand Singh Rawat (Retd), Archana Srivastava, Dr Devinder Singh Hanspal, Dinesh Acharya, Diptesh Chandra Ghosh, Lt Col Herald Ford Mochari, Jayant Kumar Sinha, Kanishka Mallick, Kulpreet Badial, Latika Sud, Manju (Kapoor) Puri, Manoj Kumar, Neti Srinivasan, Dr Nivedita Mishra, Patrick Corbett, Raghu Menon, Ranbir Krishan, Sameer C Mohindru, Maj Sanchit Thakur, Sanjeev Verma, Lt Col Sunny Bakhshi (Retd), Suresh Narayana Amirapu, Sushma Midha, Tabish Nawaz, Vipin Sehgal

Edited by Nikhil Kumar