Salman Rushdie receives Lifetime Disturbing the Peace Award
Celebrated author Salman Rushdie has received the inaugural Lifetime Disturbing the Peace Award, presented by the Vaclav Havel Center in Manhattan, New York. The honor was reportedly kept under wraps until moments before Rushdie accepted the award. "I apologize for being a mystery guest," he said, accepting the award. He has mostly remained away from the public eye since being stabbed multiple times at a literary festival in Western New York in August 2022.
Vaclav Havel Center and its mission
The Vaclav Havel Center, established as the Vaclav Havel Library Foundation in 2012, is named after the Czech playwright and dissident Havel, who also became Czechoslovakia's president following the collapse of its communist regime. The center's mission is to promote Havel's legacy. He was a staunch advocate for human rights and freedom of expression who passed away in 2011. Numerous authors and diplomats attended the ceremony, which was hosted by veteran CBS journalist Lesley Stahl.
Rushdie praises Havel and reflects on awards
Rushdie (76) also discussed winning the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade last month and being recognized for "disturbing the peace" now, making him question which side of "the fence" he was on. He dedicated much of his speech to praising his close friend Havel. Rushdie recalled him as one of the first government leaders to support him after Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's 1989 fatwa demanding his death over The Satanic Verses controversy.
Egyptian activist receives award too
Meanwhile, incarcerated Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah received the Disturbing the Peace Award to a Courageous Writer at Risk. His aunt, author and translator Adhaf Soueif, accepted the award on his behalf and mentioned that he was aware of the honor. "He's very grateful," she said. "He was particularly pleased by the name of the award, 'Disturbing the Peace.' This really tickled him." Abdel-Fattah has become a symbol for many of Egypt's autocratic rule.
