In a recent development, an upcoming memoir by Salman Rushdie about the 2022 attempt on his life has delayed the trial of his alleged assailant. The trial, scheduled to begin next week, faces a postponement as the defendant, Hadi Matar, has been granted access to Rushdie’s manuscript and related materials for trial preparation, as per Chautauqua County Judge David Foley’s statement during a pretrial conference. Attorneys for Matar argued they are entitled to review Mr Rushdie’s upcoming book.

Salman Rushdie memoir sparks trial delay

Judge Foley had given Matar and his attorney, Nathaniel Barone, until Wednesday 3rd January, to decide if they wish to postpone the trial to obtain the book, either in advance from the publisher or upon its release in April. Barone is expected to subpoena the manuscript, according to the Chautauqua County government site.

Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt expressed frustration at they delay. He said, however, that he could “assure the public it will not change the ultimate outcome”.

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The trial, with jury selection set for January 8, has been overshadowed by Rushdie’s announcement of his memoir, “Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder.”

From attack to art: Rushdie’s courageous return to literature with ‘Knife’

The book, a response to the August 2022 attack that left Rushdie blinded in his right eye and with a damaged left hand, is a testament to his resilience. “This was a necessary book for me to write: a way to take charge of what happened, and to answer violence with art,” Rushdie stated in a release by Penguin Random House.

Penguin Random House CEO Nihar Malaviya lauded the book as “a searing book” and praised Rushdie’s determination to tell his story through words. The trial preparations hit a snag upon the discovery of the book, with District Attorney Jason Schmidt acknowledging the refusal of Rushdie’s representatives to share the manuscript due to intellectual property rights. Schmidt downplayed the book’s relevance to the trial, emphasising that the attack, witnessed by many, could be substantiated by Rushdie’s testimony and existing recordings.

Matar, a 26-year-old New Jersey resident, has been in custody without bail since the incident at the Chautauqua Institution, a renowned summer retreat in western New York. DA Schmidt described Matar’s act as a “mission to kill Mr. Rushdie,” noting the intensity of the attack that was halted by audience members. Following his arrest, Matar, in an interview with The New York Post, praised Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and criticised Rushdie for his portrayal of Islam in his works.

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Rushdie, who lived in hiding for years following a 1989 fatwa by Khomeini over his novel “The Satanic Verses,” has in recent decades resumed public life. His upcoming book is to be published by Random House, which follows his last year’s novel “Victory City,” completed before the attack. The impending trial and Rushdie’s latest literary response underscore the ongoing intersection of his life with global religious and cultural tensions.

This article has been updated with additional details regarding the latest postponement.