The Mishal Husain Show Salman Rushdie Isn’t Afraid of Free Speech
Dec 5, 2025
Salman Rushdie, a celebrated novelist known for blending magical realism with historical narratives, shares his harrowing survival story following a tragic attack in 2022. He discusses the struggle of reclaiming his voice through writing, viewing it as a form of optimism and therapy. The conversation touches on his family background, the impact of political climates in India and the U.S., and the rising threat to free speech, including book bans. Amidst challenges, Rushdie remains hopeful about storytelling and its power to navigate complex realities.
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Returning To India To Reclaim Bombay
- Rushdie traveled back to India after his first novel failed to reconnect with childhood memories and gather material for Midnight's Children.
- He calls the book an act of 'land reclamation' to get back a lost Bombay.
Politics Naturally Enters Big National Novels
- When a country and its narrator are entwined, political events naturally enter fiction, as with the Emergency in Midnight's Children.
- Rushdie decided he couldn't fictionalise an end to the Emergency before it ended in reality.
Worry Over Majoritarian Revisionism In India
- Rushdie expresses deep worry about India under Prime Minister Modi due to attacks on journalists and rewriting history.
- He links rising majoritarian narratives to efforts that portray Muslims as invaders and marginalise plural histories.
