19.05.2023
The writer, injured in August by a Muslim fanatic, attended the PEN America awards gala, where he was received with a standing ovation. “It’s good to be here again, compared to not being here, which was also an option.”
The writer Salman Rushdieseriously injured by the attack by a Muslim extremist last August, made his first public appearance last night (05.18.2023) during the PEN America Awards gala in New York, in front of about 700 people. Her presence, which was not previously announced, was greeted with a standing ovation from the audience.
PEN it has never been as “important” as it is now, Rushdie said, quoted in a statement from the organization. Rushdie hid with a black lens the eye he lost during the attackand showed that he has not lost his good humor in his first words: “Hello everyone. It’s good to be here again, compared to not being here, which was also an option. I’m quite happy that the dice fell like this” , said.
The writer, who has always been closely involved in PEN America -the main forum that brings together established writers- and has become its president, received the Courage Award for having survived the attack by Hadi Matar, a 24-year-old of Lebanese origin, who is still in preventive detention charged with attempted murder and faces a penalty of up to 25 years in prison.
At the time of receiving the award, Rushdie wanted to pay tribute to all those who came to his aid on the day of the attack on an institution in upstate New York: “I was the target that day, they were the heroes. Courage that day was all his,” he said, and showed that he does not intend to remain silent after the attack. “Terrorism must not terrify us. Violence cannot deter us. As the old Marxists said, ‘la lutte continue,’ the ‘lutta continua,” he said in French and Italian.
lgc (afp/efe)
2023-05-19 16:05:41
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