The Newark Public Library has announced that renowned novelist Salman Rushdie will deliver the third annual lecture in the Philip Roth Lecture Series. Established in 2016, the series honors Mr. Roth, his roots in Newark and contributions to the city, including the gift of his entire personal library collection – over 3,500 volumes – to the Library.
Prior to his passing, Mr. Roth personally selected Mr. Rushdie to serve as this year’s guest speaker. As a tribute to Mr. Roth, his oeuvre and contributions to literature worldwide, Mr. Rushdie will be devoting his lecture to the subject of Mr. Roth. The event will take place at the Newark Public Library on Thursday, September 27. The program begins at 6:30pm and will be followed by a reception at 7:30pm. In honor of the 2018 Philip Roth Lecture Series, Audible, another Newark landmark, will offer a free download of Midnight’s Children, Mr. Rushdie’s breakthrough novel, to all attendees.
A distinguished writer, Mr. Rushdie is the author of 13 novels including the celebrated Midnight’s Children and controversial novel, The Satanic Verses. In addition to his most recent novel, The Golden House, and many works of fiction, Mr. Rushdie is the author of four non-fiction books, including his memoir, Joseph Anton.
“For more than four decades, Mr. Rushdie has woven history, politics, religion and magic into a body of work studied and read throughout the world. Widely recognized as a giant among writers, he has always been a fierce defender of freedom of expression. We couldn’t be more honored to welcome him as our 2018 Philip Roth Lecturer,” said Jeffrey Trzeciak, Director, Newark Public Library.
Mr. Rushdie has been the recipient of countless literary honors, including the Booker Prize, Best of the Booker, the Whitbread Prize for Best Novel (twice) and the Writers’ Guild Award. Additionally, he holds the rank of Commandeur in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France’s highest artistic honor. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and a former president of American PEN, Mr. Rushdie is currently a Distinguished Writer in Residence at New York University. He holds honorary doctorates and fellowships at six European and six American universities, is an Honorary Professor in the Humanities at M.I.T, and University Distinguished Professor at Emory University.
Each year, the Newark Public Library’s Philip Roth Lecture Committee invites one literary luminary to deliver the Philip Roth Lecture. To date, the series has featured celebrated novelist Zadie Smith and renowned biographer Robert A. Caro. The Philip Roth Lecture Series is an example of the high caliber, relevant programming that the Newark Public Library develops to inspire a new generation of young readers and writers.
To pre-register for the event, please email PRLecture2018@npl.org. Walk-ins are welcome as well. However, please note that this is a first come, first seated event.
