Salman Rushdie - Joseph Anton: A Memoir (EN)

In Joseph Anton, Salman Rushdie recounts the most harrowing period of his life—when a fatwa was issued against him in 1989 following the publication of The Satanic Verses.

Forced into hiding under police protection, Rushdie lived under constant threat for years, adopting the alias “Joseph Anton” for security purposes. Written in the third person, this gripping memoir provides an intimate look at Rushdie’s struggles with fear, isolation, and the fight for freedom of expression. He details his relationships with friends, family, fellow writers, and governments, offering a deeply personal yet globally relevant reflection on literature, identity, and resilience. A powerful testament to the endurance of creativity and the right to free speech, Joseph Anton is both a thrilling account of survival and a meditation on the power of words.