Booker prize-winning British author Salman Rushdie said in an interview broadcast Monday that he may one day write a book about his life under an Iranian decree calling for his death.
Asked by the BBC about his personal safety, Rushdie, who was given a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II last year, said it had been alright for quite a long time.
The bad period was, roughly speaking, nine years long, and it s now been actually nine years since then, so it does feel like an earlier chapter and now, new chapter, the 61-year-old said.
The broadcaster then questioned him as to whether he would write a book on that time in his life, to which he replied: At the time, really, it was just a struggle to try and get through it and somehow get beyond it.
But now, yeah, I guess there s a story there. … One of these days – there s various people encouraging me to tell it, and maybe I will.
The Indian-born writer, who was raised as a Sunni Muslim, has lived since 1989 under the shadow of an Iranian fatwa – or religious decree – calling for his death over his controversial novel The Satanic Verses.
The author is accused by some Muslims of blaspheming Islam in the book, which triggered an international furor when it was first published in 1988.
Rushdie was forced into hiding after Iran s then revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued the fatwa.
Following the announcement of Rushdie s knighthood last year, Iran said the death sentence still stands.
After nearly a decade hiding away, Rushdie began to appear in public more and more, eventually becoming a socialite fixture on the international party circuit.
When his knighthood was announced in the queen s birthday honors list, it sparked condemnation from a number of Muslim countries and organizations, protests, and threats against Britain from Al-Qaeda.
At the time, British government ministers stressed that they were sorry if people had been upset by the honor, but said it was for a lifelong body of work and refused to apologize for the award.
Meanwhile, Rushdie s latest novel The Enchantress of Florence has been singled out among the 13 books on the long list for the 2008 Booker Prize, released on Tuesday.
Rushdie’s 1981 novel Midnight s Children was named as the greatest Booker Prize winner ever earlier this month, in an award marking 40 years of the prize.
One of the literary world s most prestigious awards, the annual Booker Prize goes to the best work of fiction by an author from the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland.
Bookmakers predicted that Rushdie s novel and Irish author Joseph O Neill s book Netherland would be the favorites.
Judges chair Michael Portillo, a former British defense secretary, said: With a notable degree of consensus, the five Man Booker judges decided on their long list of 13 books.
The judges are pleased with the geographical balance of the long list with writers from Pakistan, India, Australia, Ireland and the UK.
We also are happy with the interesting mix of books: five first novels and two novels by former winners. The list covers an extraordinary variety of writing.
Still two qualities emerge this year: large scale narrative and the striking use of humor.
Six of the long listed authors are British. The two former Booker winners are Rushdie and John Berger, who is nominated for his latest work From A to X .
The 81-year-old is the oldest author on the list and won the prize 36 years ago for his novel G.
The youngest writer nominated is British debut novelist Tom Rob Smith, 29, for Child 44.
The other four first-time novelists are Aravind Adiga from India, for The White Tiger; Australian writer Steve Toltz, for A Fraction of the Whole;
Pakistan-born Londoner Mohammed Hanif for A Case of Exploding Mangoes; and Cardiff-born Gaynor Arnold for Girl in a Blue Dress.
A Booker Prize nomination all but guarantees worldwide readership and an upsurge in book sales.
Rushdie is the field s heavyweight and we d expect to see punters drawn to his name, said Nick Weinberg, spokesman for bookmaker Ladbrokes.
But Graham Sharpe, from rival bookie William Hill, said: Although Salman Rushdie is the man in form having won the Booker of Bookers, that book is now over 20 years old and his recent work has not been winning literary awards.
However, Joseph O Neill s novel, Netherland , has been creating a real buzz.
A total of 41 books have won the prize since it was launched in 1969, because the award was shared in 1974 and 1992. Contenders must have been published in the past year and originally written in English.
The shortlist will be revealed on September 9 and the winner announced at an awards ceremony in London s Guildhall on October 14.
Booker Prize 2008 longlist:
Aravind Adiga The White Tiger
Gaynor Arnold Girl in a Blue Dress
Sebastian Barry The Secret Scripture
John Berger From A to X
Michelle de Kretser The Lost Dog
Amitav Ghosh Sea of Poppies
Linda Grant The Clothes on Their Backs
Mohammed Hanif A Case of Exploding Mangoes
Philip Hensher The Northern Clemency
Joseph O Neill Netherland
Salman Rushdie The Enchantress of Florence
Tom Rob Smith Child 44
Steve Toltz A Fraction of the Whole – AFP
