Salman Rushdie Awarded Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, Calls for Defense of Freedom of Expression

Rushdie honored for indomitable spirit, contribution to literature, and resilience in the face of violent threats—continues to champion free speech despite being blinded and hand-damaged in a stabbing.

Salman Rushdie received the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade at a ceremony in Frankfurt's historic St. Paul's Church, calling for the unconditional defense of freedom of expression.
Despite a stabbing attack in 2022 that left him blind in his right eye and with a damaged left hand, Rushdie continues to write and will release a memoir, 'Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder' on April 16, which he describes as a way to 'answer violence with art'.
The British-Indian author has faced continual danger due to a fatwa issued in 1989 by Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini, condemning passages in Rushdie’s satire 'The Satanic Verses', and calling for his death.
In response to winning the award, which has previously been given to acclaimed authors such as Margaret Atwood and Vaclav Havel, Rushdie expressed his gratification at having his name added to the 'remarkable list' of recipients.
Included in Rushdie's 14-plus novels is his latest work, 'Victory City', which explores the stabbing attack he endured, positioning words as the ultimate victor against acts of violence.