Sir Salman Rushdie, author: Writing fiction in a time of lies
The Interview10 Nov 2025

Sir Salman Rushdie, author: Writing fiction in a time of lies

James Coomarasamy speaks to acclaimed author Sir Salman Rushdie as he publishes his first work of fiction since surviving a near-fatal attack in 2022, by a man armed with a knife, who is now serving 25 years in prison.

The Eleventh Hour, his new collection of novellas and short stories explores mortality, farewells and even the afterlife. They feature a rich cast of characters - a musical prodigy in post-Partition Mumbai, a ghost with a secret at a Cambridge college and a young writer caught in a Kafkaesque nightmare in modern-day America.

Sir Salman speaks candidly about the threats to free expression, the rise in book bans across the US, and the political climate shaped by figures like Donald Trump. He reflects on the pressures facing writers and readers in a time of disinformation and growing censorship.

We discuss fiction’s power to illuminate truth and why, after everything, he remains committed to the freedom to imagine.

The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC. You can listen on the BBC World Service, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 0800 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out three times a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presenter: James Coomarasamy Producer: Nigel Doran and Farhana Haider Editor: Justine Lang

Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.

(Image: Sir Salman Rushdie. Credit: Matthew Horwood/Getty Images)

Episoder(1871)

Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General: The threat to international law from power

Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General: The threat to international law from power

“There are those that believe the power of law should be replaced by the law of power”Anna Foster speaks to Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, about the threat to international...

21 Jan 23min

Karol Nawrocki, Polish President: Europe has lost its way

Karol Nawrocki, Polish President: Europe has lost its way

Nick Robinson speaks to Polish President Karol Nawrocki about Trump, Russia and the future of Europe.A historian and a boxer by background, he was elected in June 2025 with the support of Poland’s con...

19 Jan 23min

Gustavo Petro, Colombian President: US military action is a real threat

Gustavo Petro, Colombian President: US military action is a real threat

I do believe US military action is a real threat, and the prospect of removing it depends on the ongoing conversations. The BBC’s South America correspondent Ione Wells speaks to Gusatvo Petro, Colom...

16 Jan 22min

Arminka Helic, campaigner against sexual violence in war: Rape is used as part of genocide

Arminka Helic, campaigner against sexual violence in war: Rape is used as part of genocide

“Rape and sexual violence against women and girls, babies, men and boys, is used as a part of ethnic cleansing and genocide.”We are in a new era where human rights have been replaced by trade and big ...

14 Jan 23min

Gabriel Zuchtreigel, Director of Pompeii: Archaeology is the most democratic form of history

Gabriel Zuchtreigel, Director of Pompeii: Archaeology is the most democratic form of history

Michael Berkeley speaks to Gabriel Zuchtreigel, Director of Pompeii in Southern Italy, one of the world’s most important archaeological sites.History, he says, comes alive through archaeology, helping...

12 Jan 22min

Mustafa Suleyman, Artificial Intelligence pioneer: People should be healthily afraid of AI

Mustafa Suleyman, Artificial Intelligence pioneer: People should be healthily afraid of AI

BBC presenter Amol Rajan speaks to the British artificial intelligence entrepreneur Mustafa Suleyman, Chief Executive of Microsoft AI.He believes in the enormous potential of AI to be a force for good...

9 Jan 22min

Nigel Casey, UK ambassador to Russia: No communication is extremely dangerous

Nigel Casey, UK ambassador to Russia: No communication is extremely dangerous

Steve Rosenberg, the BBC’s Russia editor, speaks to Nigel Casey, the UK’s ambassador to Russia, about the challenges of working in Moscow on behalf of a government that views President Putin’s Russia ...

7 Jan 23min

Diego Calva, actor: Latin America is more than violence, salsa music and food

Diego Calva, actor: Latin America is more than violence, salsa music and food

“In Latin America, we have way more than violence, we're more than salsa as our music, or food, or culture. It's a pleasure and a responsibility to share it with the world.”BBC presenter Nikki Bedi sp...

5 Jan 23min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
aftenpodden-usa
i-retten
forklart
stopp-verden
popradet
det-store-bildet
nokon-ma-ga
dine-penger-pengeradet
fotballpodden-2
rss-gukild-johaug
aftenbla-bla
hanna-de-heldige
rss-ness
frokostshowet-pa-p5
e24-podden
rss-dannet-uten-piano
bt-dokumentar-2
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk