Rally and Reading for Salman Rushdie Tomorrow in NYC

Salman Rushdie

At 11 a.m. Eastern tomorrow, a reading of Salman Rushdie's works will be held on the steps of the New York Public Library on Fifth Ave. Called "Stand with Salman: Defend the Freedom to Write," the event has been organized by PEN America (Rushdie is a past president), his publisher Penguin Random House, the NYPL and House of SpeakEasy. It will feature readings by authors who are close to Rushdie, including Paul Auster, Reginald Dwayne Betts, Tina Brown, Kiran Desai, Andrea Elliott, Amanda Foreman, Roya Hakakian, A.M. Homes, Siri Hustvedt, Hari Kunzru, Colum McCann, Andrew Solomon, Gay Talese and others. The event will be livestreamed.

Organizers are encouraging others to host public readings around the globe as well as online with the hashtag #StandWithSalman "to remind Rushdie of both the affection that writers and readers have for him and their solidarity with his unrelenting belief in the right of writers to create without fear of reprisal."

PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel said: "Salman Rushdie is both an author of unmatched distinction, and a relentless champion for free expression, using his voice to support imperiled writers and intellectuals across the globe over decades. We are shaken to the core by this grievous assault, a reminder to us all that our rights and freedoms are more precarious than we wish to acknowledge. The outpouring of support for Salman from leaders, friends, admirers and readers worldwide has the potential to fuel a watershed moment for the freedom to write, a cause that is synonymous with Salman's life and work. We are gathering as friends, associates and admirers to amplify Salman's words and convey our warm wishes, but also to rise in defense of principles that will not be extinguished by violence."

PRH CEO Markus Dohle said: "Salman Rushdie's voice and literary works are inextricably tied to the advancement of freedom of expression, and the attack on him is a horrifying and unconscionable act of violence. As publishers, we have a collective responsibility to support writers whose books and ideas ensure an open and ever-evolving society. It is our honor to publish Salman;s prolific works, and to stand with him and the entire literary community as we remind the world of the power--and necessity--of the written word."

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