Salman Rushdie
Novelist
Indian-born author who received death threats from high-ranking Iranian government officials for his controversial book, The Satanic Verses. His other literary works, which contain elements of both historical fiction and magical realism, include Midnight's Children (1981) and Fury (2001).
He studied history at King's College, University of Cambridge, and went on to work as a copywriter for the international marketing and advertising agency, Ogilvy & Mather. He published his first novel, Grimus, in 1975.
He won the Booker Prize in 1981 for his novel, Midnight's Children.
He wed his first wife, Clarissa Luard, in 1976. He was later married to author
He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2007.