Just when you thought it was over and the dust was settling, "The Jewel of Medina" hits the headlines once more.
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Wow! Some people are suckers for punishment. Talk about living dangerously!
A publisher in Denmark is in talks over purchasing Sherry Jones' “The Jewel of Medina”, a novel about the child bride of Muhammad. It was abandoned by Random House in America and removed from bookshops in Serbia.
I think it’s terrible that art should be suppressed due to pressure from fanatics, but I also have to admit I’m one for treading a safe path. The problem is, free speech ain’t so free after all, not in the real world – take the case of Salman Rushdie. You have to ask yourself, is a story worth risking a life for?
“The Jewel of Medina” is apparently a about Aisha, one of Muhammad's wives, from the age of six to 18 when Muhammad dies. It was originally purchased by Random House US for an advance of $100,000, but put on hold after the publisher was advised by experts that publication was potentially more risky than Salman Rushdie's “The Satanic Verses”.
A publisher in Denmark is in talks over purchasing Sherry Jones' “The Jewel of Medina”, a novel about the child bride of Muhammad. It was abandoned by Random House in America and removed from bookshops in Serbia.
I think it’s terrible that art should be suppressed due to pressure from fanatics, but I also have to admit I’m one for treading a safe path. The problem is, free speech ain’t so free after all, not in the real world – take the case of Salman Rushdie. You have to ask yourself, is a story worth risking a life for?
“The Jewel of Medina” is apparently a about Aisha, one of Muhammad's wives, from the age of six to 18 when Muhammad dies. It was originally purchased by Random House US for an advance of $100,000, but put on hold after the publisher was advised by experts that publication was potentially more risky than Salman Rushdie's “The Satanic Verses”.
I wonder if Sherry Jones realised the hornet’s nest she was poking as she struggled to put words together? One thing’s for certain, the publicity has put her in a world-class position for her next offering. You know what they say about no publicity being bad!
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Whether "The Jewel of Medina" is ever available on the market or not, I think I hear best-seller clinking on the horizon. Well done, Sherry, you've achieved what most of us would give our eye-teeth for. Notoriety!
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