Salman Rushdie to release first fiction since stabbing

Salman Rushdie, a well-known author, is preparing to release his first fiction work since a life-changing incident that occurred in 2022. This incident involved a stabbing that resulted in him losing vision in one eye. His upcoming book, titled 'The Eleventh Hour', is a collection of stories that span various locations, including India, England, and the United States. The book is set to be published by Vintage, a division of Penguin Random House, on November 4, 2024. This marks a significant moment for Rushdie, as it has been nearly three years since he was attacked while speaking at an event. The assailant, Hadi Matar, was recently convicted of attempted murder and assault. According to the publisher, Rushdie's new fiction explores the places he has lived, visited, and left behind. One of the stories features two elderly men in Chennai, India, who face personal tragedies against the backdrop of a national crisis. Readers who are familiar with Rushdie's acclaimed novel 'Midnight's Children', for which he received the Booker Prize, will find a connection to the Bombay neighborhood depicted in that book. In this new work, a talented musician struggles in his marriage to a billionaire. Rushdie has stated that 'The Eleventh Hour' consists of three novellas, or short stories, all written within the past year. These stories delve into themes and locations that have occupied his thoughts, including mortality, the city of Bombay, farewells, England—particularly Cambridge—anger, peace, America, and the works of artists such as Goya, Kafka, and Bosch. The announcement of his latest book comes a year after Rushdie published an autobiographical account detailing the events surrounding his stabbing at the Chautauqua Institution. In 'Knife: Meditations After An Attempted Murder', he recounted the harrowing experience of being attacked multiple times by Hadi Matar, who is currently serving a sentence of over 30 years in prison. During the trial, Rushdie testified and recalled the moment of the attack, describing the assailant's eyes as dark and ferocious. Initially, he believed he had been punched before realizing he had been stabbed. At 77 years old, Rushdie has had a remarkable career as a writer, but he has also faced significant challenges. He spent years in hiding after the publication of 'The Satanic Verses' in 1988, which sparked outrage among some Muslims who deemed its content blasphemous. This led to threats against his life, and Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for Rushdie's execution, offering a reward of $3 million for his death. Throughout his career, Rushdie has authored around 16 novels, including the celebrated 'Midnight's Children', which earned him the prestigious Booker Prize.