Salman Rushdie takes post at Emory University

Author Salman Rushdie has accepted a five-year appointment as distinguished writer-in-residence at Emory University in Atlanta, beginning in spring 2007.

The Indian-born writer, who was denouncedby Iranian cleric Ayatollah Khomeini after writing The Satanic Verses, and whose life was in danger because of it, also will donate his archive to Emory.

"Salman Rushdie is not only one of the foremost writers of our generation, he is also a courageous champion of human rights and freedom," Emory president James Wagner said.

Rushdie was in hiding for nearly10 years after the 1988 publication ofThe Satanic Verses, and faced death threats from Islamicsupporters of Khomeiniwhobelieved the novel was blasphemous.

He has been a champion of oppressed artists since his experience and served a term as president of the American branch of PEN, the writers advocacy group.

Rushdie's Midnight's Children won the Booker Prize in 1981.

His archive includes private journals from his lifeafter the denunciation, personal correspondence, notebooks, photographs and manuscripts of all of his writings, including two early unpublished novels.

At Emory, Rushdie plans to teach, lead a graduate seminar, participate in undergraduate classes, advise students and deliver public lectures.

Rushdie has previously visited the Emory campus, having delivered a series of lectures there in 2004.