Video: Questions for Salman Rushdie
Salman Rushdie doesn't really have any favorite words, but he explains why he likes "funny" and dislikes "fanatical." He also shares his thoughts on Midnight's Children, which was published 30 years ago.
What are your favorite books/who are your favorite authors?
Today? The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov, Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges, Eugenie Grandet by Honoré de Balzac. Ask me tomorrow and I’d have a different answer.
What’s the last great book you’ve read?
Patrick Leigh Fermor, A Time of Gifts.
What have you read this summer?
Patrick deWitt, The Sisters Brothers; Liao Yiwu, The Corpse Walker; Edmund de Waal, The Hare with Amber Eyes.
Where do you find inspiration for your books? Was there any specific inspiration for this book?
There’s a special Inspiration Store I use, but I’m not allowed to tell you where it is.
Do you have any writing rituals or habits? Where and when do you write?
No, I just do it like an office job.
What are your favorite words? And what are your least favorite words?
Favourite word: “Funny.” Least favourite: “Fanatic.”
