"Literature is not a moral beauty contest."

"The Satanic Verses is a novel about migration, metamorphosis, divided selves, love, death, London, and Bombay. It is a serious work of literature."

"The human brain is a wonderful thing. It starts working the moment you are born and never stops until you stand up to speak in public."

"History is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake."

"The world is becoming more and more polarized, and it's important for writers to speak truth to power."