Renowned author Salman Rushdie’s harrowing account of a stabbing attack that left him blind in one eye has been nominated for the prestigious Baillie Gifford Prize for Nonfiction.

Rushdie’s memoir, “Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder,” is one of the 12 books on the long list for the £50,000 ($66,000) prize. The book details Rushdie’s experience of being attacked at the Chautauqua Institution in 2022, moments before delivering a lecture on writer safety. The attacker, Hadi Matar, is currently awaiting trial for the stabbing.

Judges praised Rushdie’s book as “brutally clear, honest, and, best of all, funny.” This nomination adds to Rushdie’s illustrious literary career, which includes winning the Booker Prize for his novel “Midnight’s Children.”

The Baillie Gifford Prize, founded in 1999, celebrates English-language nonfiction across various genres including current affairs, history, politics, science, and the arts. It aims to introduce a diverse range of fact-based books to a wider audience.

The winner of the 2024 prize will be announced on November 19th in London, following the finalist announcement on October 10th.