The beautiful poet 32 years his junior ‘nursing Rushdie back’ from crazed attack
SHE is the beautiful poet 32 years his junior who is believed to be helping nurse Sir Salman Rushdie back to health.
Rachel Eliza Griffiths, 43, enjoyed a romantic ‘writer’s retreat’ with Sir Salman in a 15th century Italian castle just weeks before a crazed knifeman tried to stab the 75-year-old author of The Satanic Verses to death.
Last night Dana Prescott, who organised the retreat, confirmed the couple spent 18 days at Civitella Ranieri Castle in Umbria last month, claiming Sir Salman declined her offer of security.
‘I did ask him if he had any security concerns as I am able to ask the carabinieri [police] to attend our events, or be present at the entrance, and he said, “Absolutely not, that is in my past”.’
Ms Prescott said the couple gave a joint talk at the castle.
Sir Salman has been under a ‘fatwa’, or death sentence, since 1989 when his novel The Satanic Verses was branded blasphemous by some Muslims. Last night he remained in hospital with lifechanging injuries after being stabbed 15 times in the neck and torso at a literary event in New York state on August 12. His agent has said he may lose an eye.
Suspect Hadi Matar, 24, appeared in court last week and pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and assault.
It is unclear when love first blossomed for American-born Ms Griffiths and the author. Her social media account contains photographs of the pair at events in 2017 and she was by Sir Salman’s side when he celebrated his 72nd birthday in London in June 2019. They were photographed together at literary gatherings in New York and London earlier this year.
She is represented by the same New York literary agency, Wylie, as fourtimes-married Sir Salman.
His last wife was Padma Lakshmi, the television host and model. The couple split in 2007.
When Ms Griffiths published her first book of poems and photographs in 2020, Seeing The Body, she cryptically thanked: ‘My beautiful and extraordinary love, S.’
Public records in the US suggest Ms Griffiths and Sir Salman may have purchased a home together in Delaware this year.
While she has declined to comment publicly on the attack, she posted a photograph on Instagram for her 6,500 followers this week of herself in a field of sunflowers writing: ‘Gathering every strength and wound love gives us. Let me have awe’, followed by a praying hands emoji.
She appears to have been embraced by Sir Salman’s family, with his younger sister Sameen posting birthday wishes to Ms Griffiths on social media.
A source told The Mail on Sunday: ‘Rachel is beautiful and talented and it is no wonder Salman is besotted. She wants to be recognised as an artist in her own right. She and Salman have been photographed together over the years. She has never spoken publicly about their relationship and nor has he. But it is an open secret that they are together.’
On Friday, hundreds of Rushdie supporters gathered in front of the New York Public Library to show support for the author. Writers including Gay Talese, Colum McCann and Tina Brown joined the crowd.
Sir Salman’s son Zafar said his father’s ‘usual feisty and defiant sense of humour remains intact’ despite ‘life-changing injuries’.
Ms Griffiths declined to comment last night.