Sir Salman Rushdie has declared he has moved on from the 2022 knife attack that saw his assailant, Hadi Matar, jailed for attempted murder. Matar received a 25-year sentence last month.
Speaking at the Hay Festival, where he is promoting a new book due later this year, Sir Salman described a pivotal moment when he and his wife, Eliza, returned to the scene of the attack in New York. “We went back to show myself I could stand up where I fell down,” he explained.
He expressed a desire to shift the focus back to his writing, stating, “It will be nice to talk about fiction again because ever since the attack, really the only thing anybody’s wanted to talk about is the attack, but I’m over it.” He previously expressed satisfaction with Matar’s maximum sentence on BBC Radio 4’s Today program.
The attack left Sir Rushdie with life-altering injuries, including blindness in one eye, liver damage, and a paralyzed hand. He processed the experience in his book, *Knife*, published last year, describing it as “my way of fighting back.”
The incident occurred 35 years after the publication of *The Satanic Verses*, a novel that resulted in long-standing death threats against the author. His next work of fiction, a short story collection titled *The Eleventh Hour*, will be released in November.
Security was heightened at Sir Salman’s Hay Festival appearance, with sniffer dogs and bag checks causing a slight delay. He joked about his impaired vision, stating, “I can’t see everyone – but I can hear them,” while acknowledging lingering physical effects but maintaining a positive outlook. He described his overall condition as “excellent,” despite some ongoing concerns.
Beyond his personal experience, Sir Rushdie offered commentary on US politics, expressing disappointment with the current state of affairs and contrasting it with the optimism of the Obama era. Despite this, he professed an enduring optimism for the future.
On the topic of free speech, he emphasized the importance of tolerating diverse opinions, even those considered objectionable. He recounted an instance where he advocated for the release of a film portraying him negatively, ultimately highlighting the importance of allowing audiences to judge for themselves.
Addressing the impact of AI on authorship, Sir Rushdie admitted to avoiding ChatGPT, citing a poor attempt at mimicking his writing style. He concluded with a humorous observation about the financial realities of being an author, playfully comparing himself and the host to the only exceptionally wealthy authors: those who write about child wizards, specifically referencing J.K. Rowling.
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Author Sir Salman Rushdie says he hopes the man who stabbed him “reflects upon his deeds” in jail.