Salman Rushdie, 72 Author

Salman Rushdie, in his own words, was born “handcuffed to history”. The Midnight’s Child that he is, Rushdie remains so, and the metaphorical bondage makes him one of the most prolific storytellers of our time, and each story brings the allegorical and the autobiographical, the political and the historical, the comical and the farcical together to make it a testament of a disagreeable present. He doesn’t write State-of-the-Union novels; but his novels, which come out more frequently nowadays, play with the world. The last time we saw him, he was arguing with the Joker President and his America of “radical untruth”. Coming out next month: Quichotte, in which he is as ambitious as Cervantes. No need to stress: No story is complete without India.

authorliteraturenovelistSalman Rushdie