Who is Salman Rushdie’s wife? All we know as author recalls going back to scene of 2022 knife attack with spouse

Booker Prize-winning novelist Salman Rushdie is reflecting on the stabbing that occurred during a lecture he was giving in New York in 2022. The author is now sharing that he went back to the location of the incident, which left him blind in one eye, along with causing damage to his liver and nerves in his arm.

On June 1, Rushdie revealed during the Hay Festival in Wales that he visited the location with his wife to commemorate his survival and resilience, according to Daily Mail.

Rachel Eliza Griffiths is Salman Rushdie’s fifth wife. She has been an essential part of the British Indian author’s healing process after the attack. Griffiths is an American poet and novelist.

At the time of the near-fatal attempt on Rushdie’s life, Griffiths and Rushdie had been married for almost a year. The two met each other in 2016 during a literary event. As per The Guardian, when the two met each other for the first time, Rushdie instantly developed an interest in the 46-year-old poet’s work.

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About Rachel Eliza Griffiths

Back in 2016, Rachel Eliza Griffiths had already published five books of poetry. As per AOL, Griffiths teaches creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College in New York.

Apart from publishing her poetry in the form of themed collections, Griffiths’ individual works have appeared in prestigious literary magazines like New Yorker, O Magazine and The Paris Review. Griffiths is also a video essayist.

As per her biography, Griffiths has developed an innovative video project titled ‘Poets on Poetry,’ which features conversations between poets on the art of poetry. The video project enlists the views and conversations of around 100 contemporary poets.

According to The Guardian, Rushdie and Griffiths had been living together at the time of the pandemic. As per the publication, during the period, the two authors spent time working on their individual novels, aiding each other in their creative process. As per the report, the couple feels that mutual respect for each other’s creativity is an essential part of their relationship.

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About Salman Rushdie’s stabbing

In 2022, while delivering a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution, Salman Rushdie was attacked several times by Hadi Matar. In February 2025, Rushdie recounted the attack while giving his testimony during the trial against Matar.

Rushdie, who is known for working on the genre of magical realism, recounted that he was attacked with a knife multiple times on his face and neck, after which the attacker continued stabbing him, according to The New York Times. The publication noted that Rushdie said,

“It occurred to me quite clearly that I was dying. And that was my predominant thought.”

Hadi Matar was eventually convicted and received his sentencing last month. As per Daily Mail, Matar has been sentenced to 25 years on the charge of attempted murder.

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Salman Rushdie’s wife, Rachel Eliza Griffiths, gave her own account of the stabbing

Recounting the chaotic time when she came to know of her husband’s stabbing, Rachel Eliza Griffiths wrote an essay in 2024 for The Guardian, emphasizing that the ordeal that the couple went through is a testament to the love they share.

Recalling how she came to know of the attack against Rushdie, Griffiths wrote,

“I was at home, reading. The summer light filled our living room. My dog Hero curled nearby on the floor. I might have been on my second cup of coffee when the phone rang. I saw the call was a close friend…her voice choking as she repeated to me. ‘Salman, it’s about Salman. He’s been – he is – hurt.’”

Writing that she gradually came to know that Rushdie had been attacked through notifications on her phone and news headlines on the television, Griffiths spoke about the emotional turmoil she went through. She wrote for The Guardian,

“Climbing into the car, my body began to shake uncontrollably”

Griffiths also wrote about seeing Rushdie in the hospital for the first time. She stated in The Guardian,

“Someone is talking to me about multiple stab wounds, where they are, what violence they have done, what there is to be hopeful about. Fortunately, the knife did not puncture any organs, though it went across Salman’s throat, grazing his trachea, nearly decapitating him.”

With great care, Griffiths recounts the slow, months-long process of her husband’s recovery in the hospital, sharing anecdotes about his first words after the ordeal, and feeding him chocolate ice cream. Griffiths ends by sharing that while she herself still grappled with post-traumatic stress, Salman Rushdie was undergoing the process of coming to terms with his permanent injuries.