For his narrative work full of foresight, innovation, humor and wisdom, and as a passionate advocate of freedom of thought and language, despite all personal risks, the writer Salman Rushdie received the German book trade’s Peace Prize. Laudator Daniel Kehlmann as a “veritable Rushdie figure”. Sir Salman’s acceptance speech was a plea for the power of words and art.
Festive atmosphere on Sunday morning in Frankfurt’s Paulskirche. Salman Rushdie receives the German Book Trade Peace Prize. Where the first German constitution and basic rights such as freedom of expression were fought 175 years ago, laudator Daniel Kehlmann praised his friend as a “superhero” who resembles some of his novel heroes.
Daniel Kehlmann: “Rushdie is someone who sees everything”
In the Paulskirche, which was filled to capacity, he guided through Rushdie’s work and characterized the Peace Prize winner as a highly educated author who shows us human nature through an intensified lens; “from whom no current of time, no spiritual breeze remains hidden,” who is the first to perceive everything that is important and transforms it into art; whether he was already talking about Star Wars just a few weeks after the knife attack that he narrowly survived; whether he turned Cervantes’ “Quixote” into a postmodern American road novel; Whether he sketches the shadow over Manhattan in “Fury” before September 11th, turns such a president into a joke in “Golden House” before Trump’s election or describes fundamentalist terror in “The Satanic Verses,” Kehlmann is Rushdie one who sees everything and remained visible, even in years of hiding after Ayatollah Khomeini’s fatwa, when he became the most famous invisible man while international business with Iran continued.
“In view of his almost absurdly great life story, I would like to call Salman a veritable Rushdie novel character: undisputedly one of the great storytellers of literary history, perhaps the most important defender of the freedom of art and speech in our time – but above all a wise, curious, cheerful and kind person and therefore the most worthy recipient that could have ever existed for this award, which as a peace prize expressly recognizes not only artistic but also humanistic greatness. (Daniel Kehlmann)
A “telling animal”
Salman Rushdie has said again and again that he believes in stories, that humans define themselves through stories, that they are narrative animals, and so it is not surprising that his acceptance speech in Frankfurt was a series of wondrous stories, drawn from the “pantry of myths and myths.” in Harun’s “sea of stories on which we all sail”.
First of all – after all, Rushdie was born in Bombay in 1947 – from Indian legends and the “Panchantantra”, ancient Indian fables about the deceit and betrayal of human animals. Whether in the Mahabharata, Homer, the Wizard of Oz or the Brothers Grimm, in all stories peace comes at a bloody price and years of strife.
There seems to be no peace without destruction, he said, who himself lost an eye to an Islamist assassin. But Salman Rushdie wouldn’t be himself if he didn’t have a fabulous idea for Frankfurt. After all, Salman contains the word “Salamat”, which means “peace”.
The Fabulous Peace Prize
Fables had influenced his work, Rushdie said in his acceptance speech, but there was also something decidedly fabulous about a peace prize. He would like the idea that peace itself is the prize, that the jury can do magical things, even fantastic things – a jury of wise benefactors, so infinitely powerful that once a year and never more often, they can award peace to a single person and never more can reward you for a whole year.
Preferably in the form of a year’s supply of a fine vintage Pax Frankfurtiana. Say it, immediately invent new stories and in the next paragraph you’re back from the future to the present. Rushdie’s novels are fireworks of fairy tales and political reality, they are – always – about everything.
His fabulous Frankfurt Peace Prize speech also ranged from Oppenheimer to Barbie, from war and peace and from Ukraine and Israel, for whom peace seems a long way off. And what’s more, Rushdie warned of the danger within.
“We live in a time that he never thought he would have to experience, a time in which freedom – especially freedom of expression, without which the world of books would not exist – is dominated on all sides by reactionary, authoritarian, populist, demagogic, half-educated, narcissistic and careless voices. A time when educational institutions and libraries would find themselves exposed to censorship and hostility, when extremist religions and bigoted ideologies would begin to penetrate areas of life where they have no place.” (Salman Rushdie)
Literature brings light into the darkness
It was moving how Sir Salman mastered the Frankfurt performances; how he was visibly touched, including in the Paulskirche, and was supported by long applause; how he found his way back to life after the assassination attempt last year.
Thanks to many doctors, with global solidarity. Where he gets his energy and his intact sense of humor remains a secret; his optimism seems undimmed. He rejects a role for art, a function for literature, and yet he relied entirely on art, including in his acceptance speech. Literature brings light into the darkness – in view of the barbarians today:
“And I know that art is the answer to philistinism, civilization is the answer to barbarism: In a culture war, artists of all kinds – filmmakers, actors, singers and yes, the practitioners of the art that the book people of the world use year after year “We will gather in Frankfurt every year to promote and celebrate this ancient art of the book – all of them together can keep the barbarians away from the gates.” (Salman Rushdie)
2023-10-23 02:09:39
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