Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder

On August 12, 2022, Salman Rushdie was planning to give a lecture in Chautauqua, New York, about how dangerous a writer’s life can be. Rushdie was attacked by a man who rushed onstage and stabbed him several times. The attacker was detained, and Rushdie was rushed to the hospital. Long months of treatment followed, and then recovery from psychological trauma. But Rushdie found the strength not only to endure everything—but also to write a truthful and courageous book about it.

Yes, support from his relatives and fellow writers was very important to him, but the most important thing is that he defended his right to write and speak about what matters to him again.