The News Agents Salman Rushdie on political violence, free speech and BBC "cowardice"
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Nov 28, 2025 
Salman Rushdie, the acclaimed novelist behind Midnight's Children and The Satanic Verses, shares insights from his new book The Eleventh Hour. He reflects on mortality following his life-altering attack in 2022 and how it reshaped his outlook. Rushdie critiques rising political violence, the BBC's censorship, and the state of free speech in America. He discusses societal fractures, Brexit's impact, and the troubling rise of authoritarianism. Despite challenges, he emphasizes the enduring power of literature and confirms his commitment to continue writing fiction.
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Personal Threat As Early Warning
- Rushdie sees his 1989 fatwa as an early signal of growing political violence globally.
- He compares it to a Hitchcock scene where one bird becomes many, implying escalation.
Fracture Breeds Absolutism
- Rushdie argues societal fracture fuels entrenched, absolutist positions and political violence.
- He links increased gun ownership in the U.S. to greater normalization of violent acts.
Vote Against Book Bans
- Pushback matters: voters removed book-banning school board members in recent local elections.
- Rushdie highlights electoral action as a concrete way to combat censorship.
