Sir Salman Rushdie came to the book fair in Germany to accept the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade. More than a year ago, an Islamist assassin seriously injured the writer during a performance in Chautauqua, America, and Rushdie has been blind in one eye ever since. In Frankfurt am Main, at the reception of the British Honorary Consulate and at the ceremony in St. Paul’s Church, Rushdie moves so freely and speaks so funny that people admire him even more. Since 1989 he has lived with the Islamist fatwa that was issued against him after the publication of his novel “The Satanic Verses”. Rushdie continued to write, “Victory City,” his most recent historical novel, published in German by Penguin, was seen as a declaration of the power of literature. Rushdie embodies the freedom of art and opinion, major themes of this book fair. There will be time for conversation on the sidelines of the trade fair. The security guards are present but reserved, Rushdie is friendly and attentive.
Why was it so important for you to come to Frankfurt?
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