Sir Salman Rushdie, one of the greatest cultural voices of our time, received the 14th Liberatum Cultural Honour at Town Hall by Bottaccio in London on 8 July, 2026. The award was introduced by Liberatum Founder Pablo Ganguli and presented by Baroness Helena Kennedy KC and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales. There were also appearances by artist Bharti Kher, poet-novelist Rachel Eliza Griffiths, filmmaker Mozez Singh and Geordie Greig, editor-in-chief of The Independent.
Sir Salman’s literary works resonate globally and his award is a definining moment in the 25th anniversary celebrations of Liberatum. The awards ceremony followed a captivating conversation between Sir Salman and Michael Harris, director of programming at Town Hall. During the conversation, Sir Salman warned of the threat to free expression facing the United States, and revealed how he worked at Camden Town Hall on community relations in the 1970s, before becoming one of the most celebrated novelists in the world.
Sir Salman referred to the history of literary censorship and pointed out that “If you look at the history of the persecution of books, it’s very often the case the persecutors have not read the book.”
He talked about ‘The Eleventh Hour’, his new book and the first return to writing fiction after he was attacked in New York in February 2025 and blinded in one eye. The talk culminated with some encouraging words to aspiring young writers.
“You have to make the assumption of freedom. If you can’t assume that you are free, then you are not free, because you’re looking over your shoulder. So in order to write freely, to create freely. You must make the assumption that you are free to do so. And that’s what I would say to the young writer, to make the assumption of freedom and write.” Salman Rushdie
Liberatum and Town Hall paid tribute to Sir Salman’s profound role as a champion of freedom of expression and to his remarkable literary achievements, honouring the full breadth of his life’s work. The Liberatum Cultural Honour celebrates his enduring contributions to fostering cultural understanding across the world.
Guests at the ceremony included authors Helen Fielding and Kathy Letter, actor Celia Imrie, celebrity perfumer Azzi Glasser, Daily Beast Editor Tina Brown, musician Akala, Natalie Rushdie, Caroline Michel and Sheeta Mafatlal.
Find more information on Town Hall by Boccaccio’s cultural programming here.
