Setan Yang Takut Mati Ni Dah Berani Keluar

Author Salman Rushdie makes up for lost time after years in hiding by hitting New York social scene hard


The New York social scene has become rather more highbrow in recent months with the addition of famous author Salman Rushdie to its ranks.

The writer has been seen at a number of high-profile events in the Big Apple, often accompanied by a young woman.

His reinvention as a socialite is all the more surprising since he is best known for spending years in hiding to escape threats of violence from Islamic fundamentalists.

Breaking out the bubbly: Salman Rushdie with his friend Topaz Page-Green at a charity auction in New York last week

Mr Rushdie went to ground for nearly a decade following the uproar over his depiction of the Prophet Muhammad in 1988 novel The Satanic Verses.

A fatwa calling on Muslims to assassinate the author was issued by Ayatollah Khomeini the following year, causing Mr Rushdie to disappear from the public eye.

But now the writer is highly visible, according to the New York Times, as he is primarily based at his home near the city's Union Square.

His party schedule includes premières, such as that of the Broadway musical about Spider-Man penned by his friends U2, and art gallery openings.

Celebrity lifestyle: The author poses with Helena Christensen and Ann Dexter-Jones

Of course, Mr Rushdie also finds time for literary gatherings, where he can often be seen reading his own works from an iPad.

The 64-year-old author is equally ubiquitous online, as his use of social media has introduced him to a new generation of readers.

A limerick about Kim Kardashian's ill-fated marriage was a particular highlight from his prolific Twitter feed.

Glamour: Mr Rushdie with his then-wife Padma Lakshmi

Friends told the Times they thought Mr Rushdie appreciated New York's busy lifestyle and diversity.

'I think he enjoys the speed of New York,' said David Nevins, an executive at Showtime, for whom the author is currently writing a script.

Deepa Mehta, director of a forthcoming film adaptation of Mr Rushdie's novel Midnight's Children, said: 'To fully be able to breathe, to be in New York, he feels safe.

'It's freedom. This is a person happy to be alive.'

Sumber