Rushdie releases new novel, six months after knife attack

The novel, which was written before the Indian-born author was nearly killed by a knife in the United States, claims to be a translation of a historical epic that was originally written in Sanskrit.

The much-anticipated work tells the story of Pampa Kampana, a young orphan who is given magical powers by a goddess and starts the city of Bisnaga, which means “Victory City” in Hindi.

Despite the fact that his agent Andrew Wylie informed The Guardian that his “recovery is progressing,” Rushdie, who is 75 years old, will not promote his 15th novel due to his physical condition.

On August 12, he was attacked just before giving a speech at a conference in Chautauqua, upstate New York, near Lake Erie.

After Iran’s first supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, ordered the author’s execution for what he considered to be “The Satanic Verses'” blasphemous nature, the author had been hiding for years.

Hadi Matar, a Lebanon-born 24-year-old from New Jersey, was arrested immediately following the stabbing and later pleaded not guilty to the charges.

In October, Wylie stated that Rushdie, a naturalized American who had lived in New York for 20 years, had lost the use of one hand and the sight in one eye.

Extremists in Muslim nations like Iran and Pakistan applauded the attack, which shocked the West.

Rushdie has begun to communicate via the social network Twitter, primarily to share press reviews of his new book, despite not personally promoting it.

In addition, a number of events are planned to coincide with its release, including an online conference with authors Neil Gaiman and Margaret Atwood.

Since he was subjected to the fatwa that forced him into hiding, Rushdie has become a symbol of free speech. He is still an outspoken advocate for the power of words.

According to the publisher Penguin Random House’s summary, his new work follows a heroine on a mission to “give women equal agency in a patriarchal world.”

The story of how Pampa Kampana built a city and how it fell is told in the book.

“From its literal sowing from a bag of magic seeds to its tragic ruin in the most human of ways over the next 250 years, Pampa Kampana’s life becomes deeply intertwined with Bisnaga’s: the arrogance of those in authority,” it added.

The following line sums up the novel: The only ones who win are words.

Colum McCann, a “triumph” American author, wrote in The New York Times that in Victory City, his friend Rushdie was saying “something quite profound.”

He is stating, “You will never take away the fundamental act of storytelling from people.”

“He manages to say that storytelling is one currency we all have, even in the face of danger.”

It was dubbed a “triumph — not because it exists, but because it is utterly enchanting,” according to the Atlantic magazine.

It continued, “When you think about it, Rushdie’s novels are a miracle.”

Rushdie, who was born in Mumbai in 1947, wrote his first book, “Grimus,” in 1975. Six years later, he became famous all over the world with “Midnight’s Children,” which won him the Booker Prize in the United Kingdom.

Tuesday marks the release of “Victory City,” while Thursday marks its release in the United Kingdom.