Salman Rushdie

To be born again, we must first die.

The world is a place of wonders, but also of horrors. And it's up to us to choose which ones we focus on.

I'm not interested in writing books that are easy to read. I'm interested in writing books that are worth reading.

I don't believe in God, but I'm very interested in religion.

We are all immigrants, even within ourselves.

The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt.

Language is courage: the ability to conceive a thought, to speak it, and by doing so to make it true.

I don't like to be called a 'provocateur.' I just write what I think.

Books are not just for reading; they are for living.

It's always the same story: people are afraid of what they don't understand.

The world is full of stories. You just have to listen.

I'm a writer, not a politician. My job is to ask questions, not to provide answers.

The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.

I don't have a crystal ball, but I can tell you that the future will be full of surprises.

The greatest weapon against fear is laughter.

I'm not a particularly religious person, but I do believe in the power of stories.

The world is a noisy place, and sometimes you have to shout to be heard.

I've always been drawn to characters who are outsiders, who don't fit in.

The truth is rarely pure and never simple.

Writing is a solitary business, but it's also a way of connecting with the world.