Salman Rushdie with Allan Little: Standing in the Rubble of Truth

BSL Captioned

World famous for his novels, Salman Rushdie is the author of fourteen works of fiction including the Booker Prize-winning Midnight’s Children and his most recent book Quichotte, shortlisted for the Booker in 2019. Alongside his storytelling, Rushdie’s non-fiction and criticism offers perceptive insights into literature, art and politics – and now Languages of Truth draws together essays written between 2003 and 2020. Taken together these pieces (some never previously published) are a demonstration of the New York-based author’s deep commitment to freedom of speech. Across subjects ranging from artists and fellow writers through to politics, migration and truth itself, Rushdie shows himself to be a courageous chronicler of a rapidly changing world. He joined us at the 2021 Edinburgh International Book Festival, for Allan Little’s Big Interview, talking to the acclaimed BBC journalist about the role of writing in shaping public debate, and his own encounters with artists and writers trying to rebuild a shared sense of what is ‘true’. 

Book Festival News

Communities Programme participants celebrate success of 2024 Communities Programme participants celebrate success of 2024
Friday 13 December

Enjoying this event? You can help us produce more like it.

Donate

Share

Watch more

Alicia Garza: Building Moments Into Movements Alicia Garza: Building Moments Into Movements If the past eighteen months have taught us anything, it is that activism is alive, kicking and more needed than ever. But how can we create protests that are meaningful and lasting, rather than hollow or performative acts? How can we go beyond hashtags… Interview - Elif Shafak (2015) Interview - Elif Shafak (2015) Writing in multiple languages was the subject of the day, and we caught up with Turkish writer Elif Shafak before she took to the stage with fellow multi-lingual writer Aleksandar Hemon. We also asked some audience members what they thought about the… George Monbiot - pt3 George Monbiot - pt3 Passionate campaigner for environmental and social change, George Monbiot gives us practical, powerful solutions on a global scale of how to prevent further destruction of our planet through climate change in this 2007 event. The video of this event is… Arundhati Roy: Portal to a New World Arundhati Roy: Portal to a New World We are thrilled to welcome back one of the world’s best-respected authors to discuss her new book of essays, Azadi. The slogan of the struggle in Kashmir for what Kashmiris regard as the Indian occupation, ‘Azadi!’ is the Urdu for ‘Freedom!’. It also… Fintan O'Toole: The Unknown Knowns of Ireland Fintan O'Toole: The Unknown Knowns of Ireland One of Ireland’s finest journalists shares an intimate account of how the country has changed during his lifetime. There are many contradictions in Ireland’s history and the title of Fintan O’Toole’s personal history, We Don’t Know Ourselves, is one of… Extra Teeth: Words with Bite Extra Teeth: Words with Bite Extra Teeth is a literary magazine based between Leith and Glasgow that celebrates bold words with bite, original illustration and design and the enduring power of print. First launched in 2019 following a successful Kickstarter campaign, the magazine now… Karen Campbell & Charlie Roy: Things We Don’t Remember, Things We Can’t Forget Karen Campbell & Charlie Roy: Things We Don’t Remember, Things We Can’t Forget Charlie Roy’s The Broken Pane follows Tam’s flight into her past, after a tragic discovery throws her life off course. Karen Campbell’s Paper Cup journeys with Kelly, who is homeless and decides to leave the streets of Glasgow to return to her childhood… Working with Words: Inside the New York Times Crossword Working with Words: Inside the New York Times Crossword ‘You can’t think of your troubles while solving a crossword.’ Margaret Farrar, Founding Crossword Editor, the New York Times The world’s first crossword puzzle was published in 1913. By 1924, Simon & Schuster had capitalised on the craze, publishing the… Innu Poetry from the Canadian Tundra (2015 Event) Innu Poetry from the Canadian Tundra (2015 Event) When the Book Festival invited three writers from the First Nation Innu people of Northern Canada to present their work in Edinburgh, three Scotland-based poets were invited to work with them. In this collaboration, which will also result in Anna Crowe… Tim Winton talks to John Williams at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Tim Winton talks to John Williams at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Only dreamers or the desperate would cross the vast saltland deserts of Western Australia. So which is Jaxie Clacton, the lonely boy at the heart of Tim Winton’s brutal, tender novel The Shepherd’s Hut? It’s a masterful work by one of the world’s greatest…