Salman Rushdie knighted
Wednesday, 20 June 2007
Fazle Rashid writes from New York
CONTROVERSIAL but widely read author Salman Rushdie has been knighted by the British government in an annual ritual marking the birthday day of the Queen. Rushdie, the celebrated author, was born in India and shot into international fame after the release of his first novel, Midnight's Children, a tale of pangs and pain, on the division of the sub-continent into two sovereign nations India and Pakistan in 1947.
He once carried a bounty on his head for his novel, Satanic Verses. The edict was issued in 1989 by Ayatollah Khomeini. Iran later distanced itself from the edict but reacted sharply for ' honouring and commending an apostate and hated figure'. No other Muslim nation shared Iran's view on now Sir Salman.
Salman Rushdie, the new generation of authors from the sub-continent, made his mark by writing in English. Among other notable writers from the sub-continent who earned both name and fame by writing in English are Arundhati Ray (God of Small Things), Jhumpa Lahiri (Interpreter of Maladies and Namesake), Vikram Seth (The Suitable Boy) and Monica Ali (Brick Lane). There is another set of new exciting authors from the sub-continent whose name this scribe cannot immediately recall. Monica Ali's father is a Bangladeshi. Monica's second novel, Alentejo Blue, set on the background of Portugal has earned wide appreciation.
The new crowd of authors broke away from the tradition of D.F. Karaka, Naipaul (who won Nobel Prize for literature) and Nirode Choudhury who were the first to write in English The new set of authors are prodigiously gifted, demonstrate their versatility and hint at the breadth and variety of their interests.
Their powers of portrayal have gusto and flavour. Salman Rushdie was in hiding for nine years following Khomeni's edict.
CONTROVERSIAL but widely read author Salman Rushdie has been knighted by the British government in an annual ritual marking the birthday day of the Queen. Rushdie, the celebrated author, was born in India and shot into international fame after the release of his first novel, Midnight's Children, a tale of pangs and pain, on the division of the sub-continent into two sovereign nations India and Pakistan in 1947.
He once carried a bounty on his head for his novel, Satanic Verses. The edict was issued in 1989 by Ayatollah Khomeini. Iran later distanced itself from the edict but reacted sharply for ' honouring and commending an apostate and hated figure'. No other Muslim nation shared Iran's view on now Sir Salman.
Salman Rushdie, the new generation of authors from the sub-continent, made his mark by writing in English. Among other notable writers from the sub-continent who earned both name and fame by writing in English are Arundhati Ray (God of Small Things), Jhumpa Lahiri (Interpreter of Maladies and Namesake), Vikram Seth (The Suitable Boy) and Monica Ali (Brick Lane). There is another set of new exciting authors from the sub-continent whose name this scribe cannot immediately recall. Monica Ali's father is a Bangladeshi. Monica's second novel, Alentejo Blue, set on the background of Portugal has earned wide appreciation.
The new crowd of authors broke away from the tradition of D.F. Karaka, Naipaul (who won Nobel Prize for literature) and Nirode Choudhury who were the first to write in English The new set of authors are prodigiously gifted, demonstrate their versatility and hint at the breadth and variety of their interests.
Their powers of portrayal have gusto and flavour. Salman Rushdie was in hiding for nine years following Khomeni's edict.