Sir Salman Rushdie writing again following attack

Sir Salman Rushdie said it was a great honour to receive the award

British novelist Sir Salman Rushdie said he has started writing again after being attacked in New York last year.

The Booker Prize winner was among those recognised at Windsor Castle on Tuesday after being made a Companion of Honour.

Asked when he expects to complete his next book, he said: "Oh, I'll let you know."

Sir Salman was repeatedly stabbed at an event in New York last year as he was about to make a speech.

He spent six weeks in hospital following the attack and lost vision in one eye.

Speaking after the investiture ceremony on Tuesday, in which he met the Princess Royal, Sir Salman said it was a "great honour" to be recognised for a "lifetime" of work and described Anne as "very generous".

Rushdie said Princess Anne was very generous

He said it "took a while" but he has finally started working again.

During a festival in Washington at the weekend he disclosed: "I am not reading as fast as I used to but . . . I am writing what I think will be a fairly short book about what happened."

Sir Salman has long faced death threats for his 1988 novel The Satanic Verses.

The Order of the Companions of Honour is an honour given to people in the Commonwealth realms who have made a significant contribution to the arts, science, medicine or the government over a long period of time.

English snooker player Mark Selby was also honoured at Windsor on Tuesday.

Selby, known by fans as the Jester from Leicester, was made an MBE for his services to snooker and charity in the 2022 Birthday Honours List, the late Queen's last.

The snooker ace was praised by mental health charity Mind for speaking publicly about his ongoing struggle with depression, admitting he suffered a "relapse" after losing a Masters tournament in January 2022.