Rushdie's life changed forever on February 14, 1989, when Iran’s spiritual leader ordered his execution. Forced to spend the subsequent 13 years living under a false name and constant police protection, he now lives freely in New York.
Oct 30
Ronni Ancona: The shy girl who became everyone else
Ronni Ancona grew up in Troon as the daughter of a Royal Navy officer and a theatre designer, surrounded by golf courses, pantomimes and the smell of paint in her mother’s scenery workshops. Shy, awkward and often teased at school, she discovered early that making people laugh co ... Show More
1h 4m
Oct 16
Gary Kemp: The working-class kid who made it big
Gary Kemp grew up in working-class Islington, in a home where little was owned outright but love, curiosity and ambition were abundant. Encouraged by a father who took him to libraries, London landmarks and the local baths, Gary found a guitar under the Christmas tree and soon di ... Show More
1h 5m
Apr 2024
Salman Rushdie Is Not Who You Think He Is
<p>Salman Rushdie’s 1988 novel, “<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/323746/the-satanic-verses-by-salman-rushdie/" target="_blank">The Satanic Verses</a>,” made him the target of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who denounced the book as blasphemous and issued a fatwa c ... Show More
59m 49s
Nov 2025
In 'The Eleventh Hour,' Salman Rushdie writes about morality, revenge and ghosts
Salman Rushdie lived for decades under a death sentence and survived a knife attack three years ago. His latest book The Eleventh Hour is his first work of fiction since that near-death experience. These short stories and novellas center around the end of life, what might come af ... Show More
12 m
Jun 2024
Salman Rushdie - ‘I’d rather have had a different life’
TW: this episode contains graphic descriptions of violence and injuries. Two years ago, Sir Salman Rushdie, one of the most celebrated and famous authors in the world was on stage at the Chautauqua Institution in upstate New York, when a figure dressed in black clothes and a mask ... Show More
53m 39s