Salman Rushdie, author of the controversial "Satanic Verses" and survivor of a bounty placed on his head by the spiritual leader of Iran, will give a public presentation Feb. 15 at the University of Colorado at Boulder's Macky Auditorium.
"An Evening With Salman Rushdie," presented by the CU-Boulder Cultural Events Board, will begin at 7 p.m.
Tickets for the public are $10 each and will be available at the Connection recreation area inside the University Memorial Center starting Jan. 31. Tickets are free for students, faculty and staff with a valid BuffONE card but must be picked up in advance.
There is a limit of two free tickets per BuffONE cardholder. All students, faculty and staff must show a BuffONE card along with a ticket to gain admission.
Rushdie is expected to speak about his writings and life experience. Born to Muslim parents in Bombay, India, Rushdie attended Rugby School and King's College in England and has a degree from Cambridge University.
In 1989, Rushdie's criticism of fundamentalist Islam in his book "The Satanic Verses" prompted the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to issue a religious edict condemning Rushdie and publisher William Nygaard to death. A $2 million reward was offered to any successful assassin. Nygaard was wounded in an attack, but both men survived with the help of foreign authorities. The government of Iran lifted the death edict in 1998.
Living for nearly 10 years under constant threat of violence, Rushdie continued writing and produced the books "Moor's Last Sigh" and "The Ground Beneath Her Feet" as well as frequent essays on intellectual freedom. He also has written children's books.
A prominent lecturer, Rushdie has spoken at Yale, Harvard, Oxford and other universities and is an honorary professor of the humanities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Rushdie's 14th and latest book, "Step Across This Line," is a collection of his journalistic writings over a 10-year period beginning in 1992. The book centers on themes of religion, culture and politics in an age of rapid modernization.
For more information on the Feb. 15 event visit the Cultural Events Board Web site at . For information about the UMC Connection call (303) 492-6338.