Horrifying, ghastly: Authors condemn attack on Salman Rushdie

Authors around the world have expressed their shock and sadness at the attack on Salman Rushdie in New York State.

The stabbing attack came after years of Islamist death threats against the Indian-born novelist over The Satanic Verses, published in 1988.

Fellow authors such as JK Rowling and Stephen King have written messages of support, calling the news "horrifying".

Booker-prize winning author, Ian McEwan, called it an "appalling attack" that "represents an assault on freedom of thought and speech".

"Salman has been an inspirational defender of persecuted writers and journalists across the world. He is a fiery and generous spirit, a man of immense talent and courage and he will not be deterred," he added.

Playwright Hanif Kureishi told the BBC World Service's Newshour radio programme that he was "shocked and appalled" at the assault.

He lamented the fact his friend Mr Rushdie was still facing threats to his life some 33 years after the Iranian supreme leader called for his killing in a fatwa (decree).

"Nothing justifies a fatwa, a death sentence," wrote Laurent Sourisseau, also known as Riss, the managing editor of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

Riss still lives under police protection after 17 people, including 12 of his colleagues, were killed by Islamist gunmen in 2015 over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.

Lisa Appignanesi, another friend of Mr Rushdie and a fellow writer, called the attack "ghastly", adding that she hoped "he makes it through to give us more of his extraordinary imaginative intelligence".

"He is a great and very courageous writer with enormous fictional intelligence, unsurpassed really," she added.

Booker prize-winning Indian author Arundhati Roy said she was "almost speechless with sorrow and anger".

"He has also supported other writers across the world who have been suffering from other sorts of pressures. For something like this to happen to a person like Rushdie, it's really destabilising for a lot of us," she added.

Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini wrote: "I'm utterly horrified by the cowardly attack on Salman Rushdie. I pray for his recovery. He is an essential voice and cannot be silenced."

Writer Taslima Nasreen, who was forced to flee her home in Bangladesh after a court said her novel Lajja offended Muslim's religious faith, said she now feared for her own safety.

Suzanne Nossel, head of PEN America, an organisation defending authors' freedom of expression, condemned the "brutal, premeditated" assault on the group's former president.

Ms Nossel said that Mr Rushdie had emailed her just hours before the incident, offering help with placements for Ukrainian writers.

"We hope and believe fervently that his essential voice cannot and will not be silenced," she added.