Salman Rushdie

Salman Rushdie

CountryIndia India
GenderMale
BirthdayJun 19, 1947
BiographySir Ahmed Salman Rushdie ( sul-MAHN RUUSH-dee; born 19 June 1947) is an Indian-born British and American novelist. His work often combines magic realism with historical fiction and primarily deals with connections, disruptions, and migrations between Eastern and Western civilizations, typically set on the Indian subcontinent. Rushdie's second novel, Midnight's Children (1981), won the Booker Prize in 1981 and was deemed to be "the best novel of all winners" on two occasions, marking the 25th and the 40th anniversary of the prize.

After his fourth novel, The Satanic Verses (1988), Rushdie became the subject of several assassination attempts and death threats because of what was seen by some to be an irreverent depiction of Muhammad. This included a fatwa calling for his death issued by Ruhollah Khomeini, the supreme leader of Iran. The book was banned in 20 countries. Numerous killings and bombings have been carried out by extremists who cite the book as motivation, sparking a debate about censorship and religiously motivated violence. In 2022, Rushdie survived a stabbing at the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York, that led to loss of his right eye and damage to his liver and hands.

In 1983, Rushdie was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He was appointed a Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France in 1999. Rushdie was knighted in 2007 for his services to literature. In 2008, The Times ranked him 13th on its list of the 50 greatest British writers since 1945. Since 2000, Rushdie has lived in the United States. He was named Distinguished Writer in Residence at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute of New York University in 2015. Earlier, he taught at Emory University. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In 2012, he published Joseph Anton: A Memoir, an account of his life in the wake of the events following The Satanic Verses. Rushdie was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in April 2023.

Rushdie's personal life, including his five marriages and four divorces, has attracted media attention, particularly during his marriage to television personality and activist Padma Lakshmi.

Biography from the Wikipedia article Salman Rushdie. Licensed under CC-BY-SA. Full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Part of Crew

Recently Updated Shows

Recently updated shows that might be of your interest.
Watch What Happens Live
Running

Watch What Happens Live

Watch What Happens Live is an interactive series hosted by Bravo programming executive Andy Cohen, Bravo's Senior Vice President of Original Programming and Development, is best known to viewers as the host of the network's often explosive Watch What Happens reunion specials. Watch What Happens originally debuted as a live online show on www.bravotv.com. Watch What Happens welcomes guests from some of the cable network's most popular series, as well as other entertainment stars, to chat about pop culture and celebrities in the news!

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Running

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

On Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, John Oliver presents a satirical look at the week in news, politics and current events.

GenreComedy
On the Case with Paula Zahn
Running

On the Case with Paula Zahn

Led by Emmy Award-winning journalist Paula Zahn, On the Case features in-depth interviews and original reporting that go beyond the headlines in search of fascinating mysteries from within our nation's justice system. Each episode is highlighted by Zahn's riveting exclusive interviews, which draw out different viewpoints from the people personally connected to tragedies that rocked their local community and the investigations that attempted to piece together the truth On the Case with Paula Zahn.

In the Eye of the Storm
Running

In the Eye of the Storm

In the Eye of the Storm Megastorms like 2021's Hurricane Ida and the 2023 Maui Wildfires were captured by onlookers who found themselves in the wrong place at the right time and boldly held up their camera phones to document their experiences. 

The Twelve
Running

The Twelve

Twelve citizens are called for jury duty on a high-profile murder trial as traumatizing as it is controversial, in which a woman stands accused of killing her sister's child.

As time goes by, the murder trial becomes a trial, not only for the accused, but for the jury members themselves.

Behind the façade of their anonymity, these twelve ordinary people bring with them their own histories. Lives that are as complex as the trial, full of fractured dreams, shameful secrets, hope, fears, personal trauma and prejudice.