United States: Author Mr. Salman Rushdie has been awarded the first-ever ‘Lifetime Disturbing the Peace Award’ by the Vaclav Havel Centre.
This event marked Mr. Rushdie’s first unexpected public appearance this year since he was stabbed during a literary festival in New York in August 2022.
According to reports, just a small percentage of the 100 guests knew that Mr. Rushdie would be present, so his appearance came as a surprise.
Mr. Rushdie stated that, “I apologize for being a mystery guest. I do not feel at all mysterious. But it made life a little simpler.”
Mr. Rushdie, who was granted the German Book Trade’s Peace Prize last month, found himself receiving another accolade, reflecting on the irony of being awarded for “disturbing the peace.” The author wondered what side of “the fence” he was on in this situation.
In the speech, Mr. Rushdie lauded Mr. Vaclav Havel, a personal friend and significant figure who stood by him when he was forced into hiding following Mr. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s 1989 decree against his novel, ‘The Satanic Verses’.
The ceremony, hosted by veteran CBS journalist Ms. Lesley Stahl, took place at the Havel Centre, once known as the Vaclav Havel Library Foundation. This centre was established in 2012 with the goal of carrying on Havel’s legacy by promoting free speech and human rights.
Meanwhile, Egyptian activist Mr. Alaa Abdel-Fattah received the ‘Disturbing the Peace Award to a Courageous Writer at Risk’. Despite being imprisoned, Mr. Abdel-Fattah remains a symbol of resistance against Egypt’s authoritarian regime.
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