British author Salman Rushdie made a surprise appearance at an event organized by PEN America Thursday night.
This is the author's first appearance since he was attacked in August 2022 while delivering a speech at a literary conference in the upstate New York town of Chautauqua. Rushdie received multiple stab wounds, resulting in the loss of sight in one eye and the loss of use in one hand.
Speaking in front of around 700 guests at the American Museum of Natural History and wearing glasses with a black lens over his right eye, Rushdie said he was glad to be invited to the event.
"I'm glad the dice rolled this way," he said.
Rushdie Grateful to People Who Aided Him
Rushdie, whose appearance at the event was withheld beforehand, received an accolade from PEN America, an organization dedicated to the defense of the freedom of expression and literature, which he also previously served as its president.
In his speech, he expressed gratitude towards the people who quickly apprehended his assailant, 24-year-old Hadi Matar, who is facing murder and assault charges for the incident and is awaiting trial. Rushdie, who received the organization's Centennial Courage Award, said that he owed his life to their courage.
"If it had not been for these people," Rushdie said, "I most certainly would not be standing here today."
"The struggle goes on"
Rushdie became an icon of free speech after publishing the 1988 novel "The Satanic Verses." The novel caused Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to issue a decree calling for Rushdie's death for allegedly publishing blasphemous phrases referring to the prophet Muhammad.
According to Al Jazeera, Rushdie admits he faced difficulty in writing his latest novel, "Victory City," due to the knife attack and his bouts with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Rushdie ended his emotional speech at the PEN America event with a call to continue the push for the freedom of speech and expression.
"The struggle goes on," he said in French, Italian, and English.
Earlier this week, the BBC reported Rushdie also received the Freedom to Publish award from the British Book Awards. In his acceptance speech, he criticized the encroachment of the freedom to publish in Western countries and lamented the loss of libraries and books for children in schools.
Other Awardees
Aside from Rushdie, other PEN America awardees include Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels, who received the PEN/Audible Literary Service Award and imprisoned Iranian journalist and activist Narges Mohammadi.
In a letter read at the ceremony, Mohammadi, who was awarded the PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award, urged attendees to help liberate the Iranian people "from the grip of the Islamic Republic." Receiving the award is her husband, Taghi Rahmani, who was also previously imprisoned by Iranian authorities.
Meanwhile, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos was awarded the PEN America Business Visionary Award but was absent from the event, citing the ongoing writers' strike organized by the Writers Guild of America (WGA).
Pen and Penguin Random House Sue School District for Book Bans
Earlier this week, PEN, alongside Penguin Random House and a group of authors and parents, filed a legal complaint against the Escambia County school district and school board in Florida for allegedly banning books regarding race and LGBT+ identities.
