Salman Rushdie Gives a Nod to Independent Booksellers
In his new memoir Joseph Anton, celebrated Indian-British author Salman Rushdie chronicles his life after publishing the controversial The Satanic Verses which led to the issue of a fatwa by Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989, calling for the author to be killed. Coinciding with the book’s release, Rushdie has issued a “letter to booksellers” thanking those who supported him during this time. He says, “The independent booksellers of America put the book in windows,mounted special displays, and courageously stood up for freedom against censorship, refusing to allow the choices of American readers to be limited by the threats of an angry despotic cleric far away. The bravery of independent booksellers influenced other stores to follow their lead, and in the end a key battle for free expression was won...” The entire letter can be found on the author’s website, www.salman-rushdie.com. Joseph Anton was released on September 18.
