The Satanic Verses — Salman Rushdie

Salman Rushdie's 1988 novel sparked book burnings in Bradford and a fatwa from Ayatollah Khomeini, forcing Rushdie into hiding for nine years—the longest author exile in literary history. The controversy led to the murder of the Japanese translator, serious injury of the Norwegian publisher, and assassination attempts on the Turkish publisher. On August 12, 2022, Rushdie was stabbed on stage in New York, losing sight in one eye and hand function; the attack occurred 34 years after publication, a threat duration 70% longer than that of #5 Lady Chatterley's Lover, which faced legal challenges for only 32 years.