Salman Rushdie warns against U.S. censorship in rare public address 9 months after being stabbed...

Nine months after he was stabbed and seriously injured onstage, author Salman Rushdie made a public appearance at the British Book Awards on Monday evening.

Rushdie, who appeared via video message, said the Western world is "in a moment, I think, at which freedom of expression, freedom to publish has not in my lifetime been under such threat in the countries of the West."

At the ceremony, Rushdie received the Freedom to Publish award. Organizers said that the honor, which was given for the first time in 2022, "acknowledges the determination of authors, publishers and booksellers who take a stand against intolerance, despite the ongoing threats they face."

In his speech, he warned against censorship in the United States, particularly in regards to book bans in libraries and schools. According to the American Library Association, a record number of book bans were attempted in 2022.