Celebrated author Sir Salman Rushdie is preparing to unveil his first work of fiction in nearly three years, marking a significant literary return after surviving a brutal knife attack in 2022 that left him blind in one eye.
His new book, The Eleventh Hour, is a collection of stories that traverse different cultural landscapes, capturing life across India, England, and the United States. This latest offering from Rushdie is set to be published by Vintage, an imprint of Penguin Random House, on November 4.
The book’s announcement arrives in the wake of the recent conviction of his assailant, who was found guilty of attempted murder and assault last month.
The publisher describes The Eleventh Hour as a work that reflects Rushdie’s lifelong journey through the places that have shaped his identity.
According to Penguin Random House, the collection features narratives steeped in both intimate and large-scale struggles, with one story centering on two elderly men in Chennai who confront personal tragedies amidst national turmoil.
Another tale revisits the Bombay neighborhood made famous in Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children, where a gifted but deeply dissatisfied musician finds himself trapped in a marriage to a multibillionaire. Through these stories, Rushdie delves into themes of loss, resilience, and the shifting tides of power and fate.
Rushdie has revealed that The Eleventh Hour consists of three novellas, all penned over the past year. These stories, he explained, are deeply personal explorations of the ideas and emotions that have occupied his mind, touching on subjects such as mortality, nostalgia for Bombay, the passage of time, and reflections on England, particularly his experiences at Cambridge.
He also draws inspiration from literary and artistic giants like Francisco Goya, Franz Kafka, and Hieronymus Bosch. With these influences, Rushdie constructs narratives that blend history, mythology, and contemporary realities, a signature style that has defined his illustrious career.
The announcement of his new book comes just a year after the release of Knife: Meditations After An Attempted Murder, his deeply personal account of the near-fatal attack he endured in 2022.
In that memoir, Rushdie recounted the horrifying moment when he was stabbed more than a dozen times while preparing to speak at an event in Chautauqua, New York. The assault left him with permanent injuries, including vision loss in one eye, severe nerve damage that paralyzed one of his hands, and a compromised liver.
The attack shocked the literary world and reignited conversations about artistic freedom, censorship, and the dangers faced by writers who challenge ideological norms.
In February of this year, the assailant, 27-year-old Hadi Matar, was convicted of attempted murder and assault and now faces a prison sentence of more than 30 years.
During the trial, Rushdie gave a harrowing testimony, recalling how, in the seconds before the attack, he had locked eyes with his assailant and was struck by the intensity of his gaze—”dark and ferocious,” he described it. Initially mistaking the blows for punches, he soon realized he was being stabbed repeatedly.
His survival, and his subsequent return to writing, have been widely regarded as a testament to his enduring strength and determination.
Rushdie is no stranger to threats against his life. Following the 1988 publication of The Satanic Verses, a novel inspired by the life of the Prophet Muhammad, he became the target of violent backlash from certain Muslim groups who deemed the book blasphemous.
Outrage over the novel led Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini to issue a fatwa calling for Rushdie’s execution, accompanied by a bounty of $3 million.
The declaration forced the author into hiding for nearly a decade, during which he lived under tight security while continuing to write and advocate for freedom of expression. Despite the danger, Rushdie never ceased to be an outspoken defender of literary and artistic freedoms.
Throughout his career, Rushdie has written 16 novels, including Midnight’s Children, which won the prestigious Booker Prize and remains one of the most celebrated works of contemporary literature.
His storytelling, often blending magical realism with historical and political commentary, has cemented his place among the most influential writers of his generation. With The Eleventh Hour, Rushdie not only reaffirms his literary prowess but also delivers a poignant reminder of his resilience in the face of adversity.
His ability to transform personal trauma into art speaks to the enduring power of literature, ensuring that his voice remains as vital and compelling as ever.
