SIR SALMAN RUSHDIE is one of the most celebrated authors of our time—of any time. A brilliant provocateur, he’s penned a handful of classic novels, influenced a generation of writers, and received a Queen’s Knighthood for his “services to literature.” He stands as both a pop culture icon and one of the most thought-provoking proponents for free speech today. His latest novel, Quichotte, was included in TIME’s list of 100 Must-Read Books of 2019, and was shortlisted finalist for the 2019 Booker Prize. For his masterwork of magic realism, Midnight’s Children, he won the prestigious Booker Prize, and later, the Best of the Booker. An eclectic writer and noted public intellectual, Rushdie has won many of the world’s top literary prizes, published a heralded collection of essays, Step Across the Line, and served for two years as president of The PEN American Center, the world’s oldest human rights organization.