Salman Rushdie to speak Jan. 14 in Burlington

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - Author Salman Rushdie will speak in Vermont next month about the importance of stories.

The India-born writer, who spent years in hiding after his novel “The Satanic Verses” drew a death edict from Iran’s religious authorities, is scheduled to give a talk at the University of Vermont’s Ira Allen Chapel on Jan. 14 at 5 p.m.

The Vermont Humanities Council event is free and open to the public but tickets are required and have all been distributed.

Organizers say empty seats from people who do not show up will be released just before the event. The talk will also be streamed live in the University of Vermont’s Waterman building and online at www.vermonthumanities.org or https://www.uvm.edu/president/rushdie.