LONDON — Queen Elizabeth II conferred a knighthood on The Satanic Verses author Salman Rushdie on Wednesday, a year after the announcement of the knighthood provoked protests from the Muslim world.
Some Muslims accused Rushdie him of blasphemy in the book and Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini pronounced a death sentence on him in 1989.
‘‘I really have no regrets about any of my work,’’ Rushdie told reporters after being asked about The Satanic Verses. ‘‘This is, as I say, an honor not for any specific book but for a very long career in writing and I’m happy to see that recognized.’’
British author Salman Rushdie
after receiving his Knighthood
at Buckingham Palace.
(John Stillwell/AP)
Rushdie, 61, published his first novel, Grimus, in 1975.
Success came with his next book, Midnight’s Children, which won the prestigious Booker Prize in 1981.
Rushdie was forced to accept round-the-clock protection after The Satanic Verses was published in 1988. The Iranian government withdrew the death sentence in 1998 and Rushdie has gradually returned to public life.
‘‘It’s been a long time — my first novel was published 33 years ago but I think the thing you hope to do as a writer is leave behind a shelf of interesting books and it’s great just to have that work recognized,’’ Rushdie told reporters.
He added: ‘‘At this stage ,you know, it’s certainly not a day to talk about controversy, it’s a day for myself and my family to celebrate this.’’
AP
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