Salman Rushdie Honored at PEN America Gala, First In-person Appearance Since Stabbing

Salman Rushdie Honored at PEN America Gala, First In-person Appearance Since Stabbing
Author Salman Rushdie attends the 2023 PEN America Literary Gala in New York on May 18, 2023. Frank Franklin II/AP Photo
The Associated Press
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NEW YORK—Salman Rushdie made an emotional and unexpected return to public life Thursday night, attending the annual gala of PEN America and giving the event’s final speech as he accepted a special prize, the PEN Centenary Courage Award, just nine months being after being stabbed repeatedly and hospitalized.

“It’s nice to be back—as opposed to not being back, which was also a possibility. I’m glad the dice rolled this way,” Rushdie, 75, told hundreds gathered at the American Museum of Natural History, where he received a standing ovation.