Sir Salman Rushdie was “practically decapitated” when he was attacked in a frenzied stabbing.

The 76-year-old creator was left critically injured after he was knifed repeatedly onstage simply moments earlier than he was attributable to ship a lecture on the Chautauqua Establishment in New York state in August 2022 – and now his spouse Rachel Eliza Griffiths, 45, has given her account of his horrific accidents which she noticed for the primary time after speeding to the hospital to be by his aspect.

In an essay revealed within the Guardian newspaper, she wrote: “His fingernails are caked with blood. The aspect of his face that suffered essentially the most harm is a dizzying railroad observe of sewing.

“His proper ear is almost pulp. His proper eye is roofed. The ventilator curves up out of his blue lips. His complexion is a palette of blue, gray, purple, purple, yellow and black. Throughout his bald head is a protracted, offended slash …

“Luckily, the knife didn’t puncture any organs, although it went throughout Salman’s throat, grazing his trachea, practically decapitating him.

“When a nurse lifts the gauze over Salman’s proper eye, I see his total eyeball, swollen and smashed, sitting in its cracked socket, bursting from a sliced eyelid … Nobody wants to inform me that my husband has misplaced this eye.”

Within the e-book, Rachel reveals she was at residence when she came upon in regards to the assault and she or he was so shocked, she fell down the steps. She chartered a personal jet to whisk her to the hospital the place her husband was present process life-saving therapy and she or he stayed by his aspect till he awakened.

The stabbing got here simply 11 months after the couple married in a secret ceremony and she or he admitted she felt unprepared to be thrust into the highlight within the days after the assault whereas she additionally suffered “intense post-traumatic stress dysfunction” afterwards.

The novelist underwent eight hours of surgical procedure. He misplaced an eye fixed and suffered a number of stab wounds to areas of his face, neck, chest and hand, remaining below the care of medical doctors for 18 days earlier than beginning three weeks of rehabilitation therapy.

Rachel defined that after her husband recovered and was effectively sufficient to be discharged from his rehabilitation clinic, they left in the midst of the evening and determined they didn’t really feel secure sufficient to return to their residence – going as an alternative to an condo which had been lent to them by pals.

She concluded: “I don’t thank or forgive the knife that almost killed my husband. However I’ll all the time have fun the forces of excellent that introduced him again residence to me.”

Hadi Matar, 24, was arrested on suspicion of attacking the creator and later pleaded not responsible to prices of tried homicide and assault. He’s at present behind bars awaiting trial.