Intelligence Squared Salman Rushdie: Touchstones with Razia Iqbal
Sep 14, 2021
Salman Rushdie, an acclaimed novelist celebrated for works like "Midnight's Children," joins journalist Razia Iqbal to explore pivotal moments that shaped his life. Rushdie reflects on a silver ingot representing unpartitioned India, the evocative lyrics of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man," and the powerful prose of James Joyce’s "The Dead." He dives into themes of identity, heritage, and the complexities of cancel culture, all while discussing the enduring impact of literature in a rapidly changing world.
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Silver Ingot
- Salman Rushdie's first gift, a silver ingot with pre-partition India's map, connects him to his childhood.
- Given at one day old, it symbolizes a unified India, reflecting his parents' secularist views.
Bombay vs. Mumbai
- Rushdie values the original name 'Bombay,' seeing 'Mumbai' as artificial, like 'Ho Chi Minh City' replacing 'Saigon'.
- He prefers traditional names for ancient Indian cities but believes Bombay, a British creation, has no prior claim.
Discovering Joyce
- Discovering James Joyce's 'The Dead' through a girlfriend's dissertation, Rushdie explored Joyce's works 'backwards'.
- Starting with the complex 'Finnegan's Wake,' he found increasing accessibility, culminating in the deeply moving 'Dubliners'.
