SALMAN RUSHDIE
Salman Rushdie is a British Indian novelist and essayist. His style is often classified as magical realism mixed with historical fiction, and a dominant theme of his work is the story of the many connections, disruptions and migrations between the Eastern and Western worlds. His fourth novel was the centre of a major controversy, drawing protests from Muslims in several countries. Some of the protests were violent, in which death threats were issued to Rushdie. He was appointed a Knight Bachelor by Queen Elizabeth II for "services to literature" in June 2007 and holds the rank Commandeur in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France. He began a five-year term as Distinguished Writer in Residence at Emory University in 2007. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Published works include the novels Grimus, Midnight's Children, Shame, The Satanic Verses, The Moor's Last Sigh, The Ground Beneath Her Feet, Fury, Shalimar the Clown, and The Enchantress of Florence. He also wrote the short story collections Homeless by Choice; East, West; and served as guest editor for the 2007 edition of The Best American Short Stories. His children's books include Haroun & the Sea of Stories and Luka & The Fire of Life. His non-fiction literature includes The Jaguar Smile: A Nicaraguan Journey and Imaginary Homelands: Essays and Criticism.