Salman Rushdie hails ‘very generous’ Princess Anne as King Charles’ sister honours British writer at Windsor – nine months after he was stabbed by ‘Islamist’ in New York
- Sir Salman Rushdie was made Servant of the Companions of Honour at Windsor
- He also revealed he has started writing again following his stabbing last year
British novelist Sir Salman Rushdie said he has started writing again after being attacked in New York.
The writer was among those recognised at Windsor Castle today after being made a Servant of the Companions of Honour.
The 75-year-old lost an eye and the use of one hand following the assault on the stage of a literary event held near Lake Erie in western New York state in August 2022.
Sir Salman, who was repeatedly stabbed, allegedly by an Islamic extremist, at the event last year, said it ‘took a while’ but he has finally started working again.
Asked when he expects to complete his next book, he said: ‘Oh, I’ll let you know.’
Speaking after today’s investiture ceremony, in which he met the Princess Royal, Sir Salman said it was a ‘great honour’ to be recognised for a ‘lifetime’ of work and described Anne as ‘very generous’.
British author Salman Rushdie poses with his medal after being appointed as a Member of the Order of the Companions
Sir Salman said it was a ‘great honour’ to be recognised for a ‘lifetime’ of work and described Princess Anne as ‘very generous’
Reflecting on last year’s attack, Sir Salman said: ‘I am pretty well recovered, which is why I’m able to be here. I had to wait a while.’
English snooker player Mark Selby was also among those to be honoured on Tuesday.
Selby, known by fans as the Jester from Leicester, was made an MBE for his services to snooker and charity in the 2022 Birthday Honours List, the late Queen’s last.
The snooker ace was praised by mental health charity Mind for speaking publicly about his ongoing struggle with depression, admitting he suffered a ‘relapse’ after losing a Masters tournament in January 2022.
Attacks against Sir Salman have been feared since the late 1980s and the publication of his novel ‘The Satanic Verses,’ which Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini condemned as blasphemous for passages referring to the Prophet Mohammad.
The book, inspired by the life of Islamic prophet Mohammed, prompted the then-supreme leader of Iran, Ruhollah Khomeini, to issue a fatwa calling for Sir Salman’s death.
The Ayatollah issued a decree calling for Rushdie’s death, forcing the author into hiding for many years – although he had been living and traveling freely for decades before the stabbing.
Since his attack, the author has granted few interviews, communicating chiefly through his Twitter account and prepared remarks.
Sir Salman Rushdie is made a Companion of Honour, recognising his services to literature by the Princess Royal at Windsor Castle
Hadi Matar (right) was charged with attempted murder for stabbing Salman Rushdie (left). Matar said he only read two pages of Rushdie’s book: Rushdie has brushed him off as ‘an idiot’
The Indian-born British author, 75, was about to give a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution when he was stabbed around 12 times, including once in the neck
Rushdie was airlifted to the hospital after the attack on August 12 last year. He spent six weeks in care before being discharged
Last week, he delivered a video message to the British Book Awards, where he was given a Freedom to Publish prize.
Rushdie was elated to attend the gala, but his voice sounded frailer than it once did and the right frame of his glasses was dark, concealing the eye blinded by his attacker.
PEN galas have long been a combination of literature, politics, activism and celebrity, with attendees ranging from Alec Baldwin to Senator Angus King of Maine.
PEN events are familiar settings for Rushdie, a former president of PEN, the literary rights organization for which freedom of speech is a core mission.
He has attended many times in the past and is a co-founder of PEN’s World Voices Festival, an international gathering of author panels and interviews held around the time of the PEN gala.
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