Salman Rushdie returns to the stage nine months after cheating death in knife attack

Salman Rushdie has made an unexpected return to public life at a gala celebrating freedom of expression.

The author, who was left blind in one eye after a knife attack last August, surprised guests at the PEN America Literary Gala.

Accepting a prize, Rushdie said: “It’s nice to be back, as opposed to not being back, which was also a possibility.”