Sunday, May 17, 2009

Weekly Geeks: Salman Rushdie

I live in Delhi and I can't think of any literary figure of international repute originating from Delhi. So I pick one from Mumbai.


Ahmed Salman Rushdie was born on 19 June 1947 in Mumbai, India. He is the only son of Anis Ahmed Rushdie, a University of Cambridge-educated lawyer turned businessman, and Negin Butt, a teacher. He was educated at Cathedral and John Connon School in Mumbai, Rugby School, and King's College, Cambridge, where he studied history. He worked for two advertising agencies (Ogilvy & Mather and Ayer Barker) before becoming a full-time writer.



His best known novel, Midnight's Children won both the 1981 Booker Prize. It was awarded the "Booker of Bookers" Prize and the best all-time prize winners in 1993 and 2008 to celebrate the Booker Prize 25th and 40th anniversary. Midnight's Children is also the only Indian novel on Time's list of the 100 best English-language novels since its founding in 1923. Midnight's Children is a loose allegory for events in India both before and, primarily, after the independence and partition of India, which took place at midnight on 15 August 1947. The protagonist and narrator of the story is Saleem Sinai, a telepath with an extraordinary nose.

Books written by Salman Rushdie

Grimus (1975)

Midnight's Children (1981)

Shame (1983)

The Jaguar Smile: A Nicaraguan Journey (1987)

The Satanic Verses (1988)

Haroun and the Sea of Stories (1990)

East, West (1994)

The Moor's Last Sigh (1995)

The Firebird's Nest (1997)

The Ground Beneath Her Feet (1999)

Fury (2001)

Shalimar the Clown (2005)

The Enchantress of Florence (2008)


Apart from these he has written numerous essays.

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Photographs, anticlockwise: Midnight's Children, Cathedral and John Connon school, Mumbai, Salman Rushdie. All credits: the web!
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13 comments:

  1. pussrebootsMay 17, 2009 at 10:23 AM

    He's an author I plan to read but haven't yet. Happy TT.

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  2. KerrieMay 17, 2009 at 2:10 PM

    I hadn't realised Salman Rushdie came from Mumbai. Thanks for the information about him Gautami

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  3. serendipity_vivMay 17, 2009 at 3:28 PM

    I have never read anything by Salman Rushdie, but I know I really should. I keep seeing Midnight Children, so perhaps it is a sign that I should read it.

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  4. Linda JacobsMay 17, 2009 at 5:31 PM

    I'm going to look for Midnight Children when I go to the library this week. I've never read anything by him but have heard that he's a great writer.

    I've read several books set in India lately and the country intriques me. Do you have any suggestions for other really good ones?

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  5. WendyMay 17, 2009 at 6:30 PM

    I am currently trying to read Midnight's Children - it is a tough read for me because I am not a huge fan of magical realism. But, I *do* appreciate his humor and ability to weave a story.

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  6. JodieMay 17, 2009 at 8:52 PM

    Have you read anything by him - he's one of those authors I feel I should read but who scares me a bit (perhaps it's that raised eyebrow).

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  7. AnonymousMay 17, 2009 at 9:05 PM

    It's amazing he has managed to survive with the fatwas out against him. Thanks for the informative biography!

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  8. StaciMay 18, 2009 at 3:28 AM

    I've not read Rushdie but would like to in the future.

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  9. AnonymousMay 18, 2009 at 4:11 AM

    That was really interesting.

    I have Midnight's Children on my TBR list for ages. It's high time I got 'round to reading it! Wasn't able to read Ground Beneath Her Feet or Satanic Verses though.

    Also, speaking of famous Indian writers, I thought I read somewhere that Rohinton Mistry is from Mumbai/Bombay? I absolutely adore his works!

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  10. Harvee44May 18, 2009 at 11:23 PM

    I have signed up with the Goodreads Constant Reader book group to read Rushdie's Midnight's Children, which some Goodreads readers says is difficult to get through. I'll do my utmost best to not get bogged down, particularly since I know a little bit about Indian history! If I have serious questions, could I ask you? Or you might join us at the Constant Reader book group on Goodreads for discussion and comments!

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  11. susanMay 21, 2009 at 10:21 PM

    I mistakenly thought his best known work was Satanic Verses. Thanks for the correction and post.

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  12. susanMay 21, 2009 at 10:24 PM

    Here's mine, Detroit, City of Poets.

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  13. christinaMay 22, 2009 at 2:11 AM

    Awesome post! I love this WG. So many new things I'm learning...

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