Over the weekend, The Guardian published an interesting interview with Salman Rushdie, in which the legendary author chats about fatherhood, faith, fatwa, and the writing of his 600-page biography—which industry insiders have pegged as one of the most anticipated releases of the decade. The touching window into Rushdie's world offers a casual and earnest glimpse at the person behind the world-famous writer—a fitting glimpse, given Rushdie’s current memoir-writing mindset. In the interview, Rushdie discusses his personal life—the impact of Alice in Wonderland on his childhood, where he calls “home,” what he dreams about, where his faith lies (he's an atheist), and how it feels to have been on the cusp of a shift in history with the release of The Satanic Verses.
Rushdie weighs in on the death of Osama bin Laden and the Arab spring, but, for this interview at least, he’s engaged in introspection. “Life teaches us who we are,” he says. “You discover all your weaknesses as well as your strengths. And in writing it, you have to be most brutally honest about yourself.” We're left feeling as though Rushdie—known for his enrapturing speeches on writing, freedom of expression, religion, pop culture, current events, and East-West relations—is entering a new and intriguing life chapter we'll all be hearing about very soon.
Read more about legendary author Salman Rushdie
