Topline
Readers are pushing Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses and other books topped the bestseller list after they were published, sparking renewed interest in his work after a stabbing attack on Friday.
Salman Rushdie was attacked on Friday.
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Key Facts
Rushdie’s paperback edition of Satanic Verses is the best-selling book on Amazon’s Contemporary Literature and Fiction chart and the second best-selling book in censorship Ranked 18th on Amazon’s bestseller list, and on politics and the US platform overall bestseller.
The event also pushed the book above other Country charts, paperback Satanic Verses ranked 16th, 48th and 50th on platforms serving Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom The bestseller
interest has also driven other formats and editions of the novel in the U.S. Rising up the charts, the digital version is No. 23 on Amazon’s Kindle e-book store — it’s the platform’s best-selling book on censorship and politics, literary satire, and psycholiterary fiction — while Spanish-language digital copies occupy the top-selling position for Spanish-language literature and fiction, and second-best-selling position for Spanish-language fiction.
There has also been a lot of interest in Rushdie’s other books, including Joseph Anton , his memoirs detailing
underground life after publication Satanic Verses on the “Religious Intolerance and Persecution” rankings Top 10, with audiobooks, ebooks, hardcover and paperback occupying the No. 1, No. 2, No. 4, and No. 5 best-selling positions respectively (a Kindle version came in at No. 14).
Rushdie’s Midnight Child , published before The Satanic Verses, has also climbed all the way, becoming the 212th bestseller on the platform and the 2nd best-selling book on Asian myths and legends (3rd best-selling book on the Kindle version).
Notes
Other charts. Events like the attack on Rushdie can rekindle interest in books and propel them to various bestseller lists, especially those whose content has been censored. Rushdie’s books aren’t yet on Amazon’s charts, the platform’s more comprehensive listing of what’s sold and read on the platform, because it’s updated weekly and doesn’t generate new interest (the placements cited in this article are based on Amazon hourly-updated bestseller list). Interest may also be reflected in other graphs that count slower book sales.
Key Background
1988 Rushdie ‘s Satanic Verses ‘s publication sparked a storm of controversy in parts of the Islamic world, with some finding it blasphemous and offensive. Former Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini issued a religious decree calling for the execution of Rushdie and others involved in the book’s publication, with a $3 million reward for Rushdie’s head. Rushdie was forced to go into hiding for nearly a decade, and many others associated with the book were attacked, some killed.
News Peg
Rushdie was attacked ahead of his expected speech on Friday and was rushed to hospital in critical condition . His son Zafar Rushdie described his father’s injury as “life-changing” but said he was “moving in the right direction”. The suspect, Hadi Matar, 24, has been charged with attempted murder and assault. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. Iran has denied any responsibility for the attack and said Rushdie and his supporters were to blame. Henry Reese, who hosted the event where Rushdie was attacked and slightly injured himself, urged people to ‘all go out and buy Salman Rushdie’s book this week and read it ” to show support for free speech.
Further reading
Iran claims Salman Rushdie and supporters are responsible for his attack – as it denies involvement in stabbing (Forbes)
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