Salman Rushdie

1988: Salman Rushdie at his home in London Photograph: Horst Tappe/Getty

Salman Rushdie holds a copy of his book The Satanic Verses Photograph: Graham Turner/Guardian

1989: Demonstrators burn copies of The Satanic Verses in Bradford Photograph: Sipa Press/Rex Features

February 6 1989: Salman Rushdie and his then wife Marianne Wiggins while in hiding after writing The Satanic Verses Photograph: Terry Smith/Time Life Pictures/Getty

Salman Rushdie, pictured at home Photograph: Jonathan Player/Rex Features

September 20 1993: Salman Rushdie holds his novel Midnight's Children which won him the 1981 Booker Prize Photograph: Fiona Hanson/PA

November 5 2002: Salman Rushdie and Robin Williams at the after-party following the screening of Insomnia at the Tribeca film festival Photograph: Gregory Pace/Corbis

May 16 2004: Salman Rushdie and wife Padma Lakshmi at the premiere of Comme une Image in Cannes Photograph: Carlo Allegri/Getty

April 12 2005: Salman Rushdie poses for a portrait on a terrace in midtown Manhattan Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters

June 21 2007: An activist takes part in a protest against Salman Rushdie in Karachi Photograph: Zahid Hussein/Reuters

June 22 2007: Muslim protestors during a protest against Salman Rushdie in Jammu, India Photograph: Channi Anand/AP

June 25 2008: Salman Rushdie with his knighthood at Buckingham Palace, London Photograph: Rex Features

May 26 2008: Salman Rushdie at the Guardian Hay Festival Photograph: Felix Clay/freelance