NEW YORK — Esteemed authors Robert Caro, Salman Rushdie, and Sandra Cisneros were celebrated on Monday night during the Authors Guild gala, recognizing their contributions to literature and their impact on defending democracy.
Sandra Cisneros, known for her fiction, poetry, and advocacy for peace, received the Baldacci Award for Literary Activism. “The world we live in is a house on fire and people we love are burning,” Cisneros remarked, highlighting the urgent need for activism. Meanwhile, Robert Caro, a distinguished historian and winner of the Pulitzer Prize, was honored with the Preston Award for his exceptional service to the literary community. Salman Rushdie, a novelist fervently opposed to censorship, was given the Champion of Writers Award for his unwavering support of free expression.
The Authors Guild, which represents over 15,000 published writers, champions various causes, including fighting book bans and advocating for restrictions on artificial intelligence. The elegant event was hosted at Gotham Hall in midtown Manhattan by Ego Nwodim from “Saturday Night Live.”
Robert Caro, who served as the Guild’s president from 1979 to 1981, accepted his award via a recorded message, reflecting on enduring challenges such as waiting for editors’ responses. He emphasized the ongoing relevance of the Guild’s efforts and noted that authors cannot battle these issues singlehandedly. “Receiving this award from a community that has given me so much moves me deeply,” Caro expressed.
Salman Rushdie voiced concerns about the cultural sphere being more threatened than ever, referring to actions by the Trump administration toward educational funding and support for arts and humanities. He highlighted the crucial role of authors as custodians of America’s stories.
Reflecting on the philosophical journey of “Candide,” an 18th-century novel he was engrossed in, Rushdie pondered the protagonist’s retreat from worldly chaos to tend his garden. At 77 and having survived a brutal stabbing in 2022, Rushdie proposed a critical choice amidst today’s crises: to remain detached or to actively confront challenges. “I’m tempted, like Candide, to find a private garden to cultivate. But I may still have a little fight left, and I hope you all do, too,” he shared, signaling his enduring resolve to engage with the critical issues of our time.