'This is a triumphant book... Disdainful of the earthbound, imperious, wilful, but also majestic, these collected essays are about the struggle of a writer to find his singular, untouched voice.' James Wood, Guardian 'Read every page of this book; better still, re-read them. The invocation means no hardship, since every true reader must surely be captivated by Rushdie's masterful invention and ease, the flow of wit and insight and passion... How literature of the highest order can serve the interests of our common humanity is freshly illustrated here: a defence of his past, a promise for the future, and a surrender to nobody or nothing whatever except his own all-powerful imagination.' Michael Foot, Observer 'Playful, profound and provocative... Rushdie holds nothing back.' New York Newsday