Salman Rushdie's Memoir of His Onstage Attack is among Contenders for Top Nonfiction Prize

FILE - Salman Rushdie poses for a portrait to promote his book “Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder”, at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin, Germany, May 16, 2024. .(AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)
FILE - Salman Rushdie poses for a portrait to promote his book “Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder”, at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin, Germany, May 16, 2024. .(AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)
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Salman Rushdie's Memoir of His Onstage Attack is among Contenders for Top Nonfiction Prize

FILE - Salman Rushdie poses for a portrait to promote his book “Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder”, at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin, Germany, May 16, 2024. .(AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)
FILE - Salman Rushdie poses for a portrait to promote his book “Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder”, at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin, Germany, May 16, 2024. .(AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)

Salman Rushdie’s account of a stabbing attack that blinded him in one eye is among contenders announced Thursday for a prestigious nonfiction book prize.

Rushdie’s memoir “ Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder ” is among 12 books on the long list for the 50,000 pound ($66,000) Baillie Gifford Prize, The AP reported.

The 77-year-old novelist recounts being attacked at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York in 2022 as he was about to deliver a lecture on keeping writers safe from harm. A New Jersey man, Hadi Matar, is awaiting trial for the stabbing.

Prize judges called the book “brutally clear, honest and, best of all, funny.”

Rushdie won the Booker Prize for fiction in 1981 for “Midnight’s Children.” He spent years in hiding after Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa, or edict, in 1989 calling for his death for the alleged blasphemy in his novel “The Satanic Verses.”

Other semi-finalists for the nonfiction prize include Australia’s Richard Flanagan for his memoir “Question 7” and several works on Asian history, including Gary J. Bass’ “Judgement at Tokyo: World War II on Trial and the Making of Modern Asia” and Viet Thanh Nguyen’s “A Man of Two Faces: A Memoir, A History, A Memorial.”

Founded in 1999, the Baillie Gifford Prize recognizes English-language books from any country in current affairs, history, politics, science, sport, travel, biography, autobiography and the arts. It has been credited with bringing an eclectic slate of fact-based books to a wider audience.

Last year’s winner was John Vaillant’s real-life climate-change thriller “Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World.”

Finalists for the 2024 prize will be announced Oct. 10 and the winner will be crowned Nov. 19 at a ceremony in London.



Twin Endangered Arabian Sand Gazelles Born at King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve

The field team of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve observed in September the birth of twin endangered Arabian sand gazelles. (SPA)
The field team of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve observed in September the birth of twin endangered Arabian sand gazelles. (SPA)
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Twin Endangered Arabian Sand Gazelles Born at King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve

The field team of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve observed in September the birth of twin endangered Arabian sand gazelles. (SPA)
The field team of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve observed in September the birth of twin endangered Arabian sand gazelles. (SPA)

The field team of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve observed in September the birth of twin endangered Arabian sand gazelles, marking the 84th birth of Arabian gazelles within the reserve, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Thursday.

The milestone highlights the authority’s efforts to safeguard wildlife and create a thriving environment for their growth and reproduction.

The authority emphasized that the successful reproduction of these animals reflects the quality and suitability of the natural habitats within the reserve. This success is part of ongoing efforts to preserve endangered species. The reserve has recorded more than 120 mammal births, including oryx, Arabian sand gazelles, and ibex, in its protected areas.

The milestone highlights the authority’s efforts to safeguard wildlife and create a thriving environment for their growth and reproduction. (SPA)

These achievements demonstrate the authority’s dedication to wildlife conservation, evidenced by the release of various endangered species and the creation of tailored environments to support each species. The field team conducts rigorous and regular monitoring to protect these animals and ensure their safety.

Spanning an impressive 130,700 square kilometers, the King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve is the largest natural wildlife reserve in the Middle East. It covers four administrative regions: Al-Jawf, Hail, the Northern Borders, and Tabuk. The reserve boasts diverse natural habitats, varied terrain, and unique geographical formations.