To “give women an equal place in a patriarchal world”. Thus is presented the spirit of the new book by the American-British writer Salman Rushdie. In his latest book named Victory Citywhich hits bookstores on Tuesday, the reader follows the heroine and poet Pampa Kampana, who will live nearly 250 years, a witness to “the pride of those in power”, and who will erect a city, suffer exile and threats in a patriarchal world.
Completed before his stabbing six months ago, this novel – undoubtedly one of the most anticipated of the year – by the Indian-born author, is presented as the translation of the historical epic of Pampa Kampana, a young orphan endowed with magical powers by a goddess, who will create the city of Bisnaga, literally Victory City.
No promotion planned
The writer will not make any promotion to present his 15th novel, which will be released on Tuesday in the United States and Thursday in the United Kingdom, warned his agent Andrew Wylie in the British daily The Guardian, even if “his recovery is progressing” since the attack that almost cost him his life on August 12. A young man lunged at him armed with a knife as he prepared to speak at a conference in Chautauqua in upstate New York near Great Lake Erie .
Salman Rushdie, a naturalized American who has lived in New York for 20 years, has lost the sight of one eye and the use of one hand, his agent announced in October. The attack shocked Western countries, but was hailed by extremists in Muslim countries such as Iran and Pakistan.
Since then, the author has remained distant from the media, but has resumed speaking on the social network Twitter since last December, most often to relay the reviews of his new novel published in the press. However, several events are planned to accompany the release of Victory Citysuch as a webcast conference with British authors Margaret Atwood and Neil Gaiman.