Salman Rushdie’s highly anticipated memoir “Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder” is set to be released on Tuesday. The memoir recounts the harrowing experience of the knife attack that almost claimed Rushdie’s life and left him blind in one eye. Rushdie describes feeling a sense of disbelief that the attack happened so late, after living a relatively normal life for decades.
During his first televised interview since the incident, Rushdie shared his thoughts as the attack unfolded. He was on stage at an event in western New York when he saw the man in black running towards him, wielding a knife. Rushdie, who had spent years in hiding following the controversy surrounding his novel “The Satanic Verses,” was giving a talk about a program that provides safe haven to writers under threat.
The attack, which resulted in Rushdie sustaining 15 wounds, including in his neck and abdomen, was carried out by a 24-year-old named Hadi Matar from New Jersey. Matar pleaded not guilty to charges of assault and attempted murder and is awaiting trial. Rushdie has chosen not to use Matar’s name in his book, stating that he does not want to give him any more of his time.
Despite his initial reluctance, Rushdie felt compelled to write this memoir in order to come to terms with the traumatic event. He views language as a powerful tool that can cut through to the truth, and hopes that his book will serve as a response to the attack. “Knife” marks Rushdie’s 22nd book and is set to be released on April 16, 2024.
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