Andrew Wylie, literary agent to Salman Rushdie

Return to main article:

The fatwa that Iran issued in response to Salman Rushdie’s 1988 novel The Satanic Verses affected his agent, Andrew Wylie, directly. “Tehran was sending out teams of people to kill--Rushdie, primarily, but also those associated with him,” Wylie relates. “There was lots of information coming in at warp speed. Visiting Rushdie was an excitement in itself, involving unmarked cars and street corners and high-speed drives going the wrong way down streets. It was a period of intensely heightened experience.”

It was also “an act of international terror, a nation condemning an individual from another country to death,” he continues. “How do you react to that? Do you cave? Do you withdraw the book from publication? Do you hide and hope it goes away? Or do you stand up to it? It’s like a hostage crisis, and Rushdie was effectively held hostage. He and I both felt it was critically important for the publishing world--and for freedom of speech--to arrange for the orderly publication of the paperback edition one year after the hardcover publication.”

Normally, that paperback would have appeared in the fall of 1989. Instead, the hardcover publisher, Penguin, declined to publish the paperback edition; furthermore, “each and every publisher in New York refused to publish the paperback or even to participate in the publication of the paperback,” Wylie says. “There was a lot of fear, some of it for good reason. The Norwegian publisher of the hardcover was shot three times in the back by a hit squad. But he ordered a reprint from his hospital bed. It was one of American publishing’s darkest hours, in my view. The cover for the reaction was, ‘I can’t put my employees at risk.’ The fundamental issue, though, was: Is there freedom of speech, or is there not? It was about having the courage of your convictions.” The paperback finally appeared in 1992, from a group of publishers styled “The Consortium.” Rushdie is now writing a book on the fatwa episode.

You might also like

Must-Read Harvard Books Winter 2025

From aphorisms to art heists to democracy’s necessary conditions 

Being Undocumented in America

Karla Cornejo Villavicencio’s writing aims to challenge assumptions. 

Shakespeare’s Greatest Rival

Without Christopher Marlowe, there might not have been a Bard.

Most popular

Harvard’s Class of 2029 Reflects Shifts in Racial Makeup After Affirmative Action Ends

International students continue to enroll amid political uncertainty; mandatory SATs lead to a drop in applications.

What Trump Means for John Roberts’s Legacy

Executive power is on the docket at the Supreme Court.

Explore More From Current Issue

Three book covers arranged in a row on a beige background with a red border.

Must-Read Harvard Books Winter 2025

From aphorisms to art heists to democracy’s necessary conditions 

People gather near the John Harvard Statue in front of University Hall surrounded by autumn trees.

A Changed Harvard Faces the Future

After a tense summer—and with no Trump settlement in sight—the University continues to adapt. 

A vibrant bar scene with tropical decor, featuring patrons sitting on high stools.

Best Bars for Seasonal Drinks and Snacks in Greater Boston

Gathering spots that warm and delight us