Salman Rushdie is engaged on a ebook in regards to the assault that robbed him of his proper eye, he stated in considered one of his first public appearances since he was repeatedly stabbed onstage at a literary pageant in upstate New York final 12 months.

Talking on the FT Weekend Competition in Washington on Saturday, the novelist, 75, stated he was nonetheless “a bit crushed up” however “principally positive”, almost one 12 months after the try on his life.

Sporting glasses with a darkened proper lens, Rushdie appeared on the occasion through video hyperlink.

“I’m not studying as quick as I used to however . . . I’m writing what I feel shall be a reasonably brief ebook about what occurred,” Rushdie stated in a wide-ranging dialog that explored most of the creator’s novels, from Midnight’s Youngsters to Victory Metropolis, his most up-to-date work which was printed earlier this 12 months.

Rushdie has for many years confronted persecution for his work and lived below menace of demise.

The Satanic Verses, first printed in 1988, generated controversy for the way it depicted the Islamic prophet Mohammed. The ebook was banned in Iran and the nation’s supreme chief Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa ordering Muslims to kill Rushdie.

Following the demise menace, Rushdie went into hiding and lived below armed guard.

After the assault final 12 months US secretary of state Antony Blinken accused the Iranian authorities of inciting violence in opposition to Rushdie and castigated Tehran for “gloat[ing]” in regards to the try on his life.

Rushdie made mild of his critics on Saturday, saying: “If my work has enemies, they’re in all probability the best enemies to have.”

When requested what his recommendation can be to younger aspiring writers, Rushdie replied: “I’d say, do what you need to do and don’t be scared.”

Rushdie has largely been absent from the general public eye within the final 12 months as he recovered from the assault on his life. He made a uncommon in-person look in New York final week to simply accept the Centenary Braveness Award from PEN America, the non-profit organisation that advocates for freedom of expression.

“There’s lots of people in quite a lot of methods proper now attempting to place fences round what’s OK to do and what’s not OK to do . . . if something goes to result in the demise of the novel, that shall be it,” Rushdie warned attendees on the FT Competition on Saturday.

“We’ve to say our fact in our method and supply it to the world,” he added.