Salman Rushdie to speak at Emory U.

Decatur, Ga. -- Indian-British author Salman Rushdie is scheduled to give a lecture called "Autobiography and the Novel" at Emory University in Georgia next month.

The literary talk is open to the public Feb. 10 in Glenn Memorial Auditorium on the college's main campus near Decatur, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

"The lecture will be an examination of how the lives of writers intertwine with their work, and in what ways, if at all, the life can be said to be the best explanation of that work," Rushdie said in a statement.

The author began a five-year writer-in-residence program at Emory last spring, the Journal-Constitution said.

Rushdie became famous when he was forced to go into hiding for a decade after he was condemned to death in 1989 by the former Iranian spiritual leader Ayatullah Ruhollah Khomeini for his book "The Satanic Verses."

Emory officials declined to discuss security plans for Rushdie's upcoming lecture.

"We will take whatever precautions necessary," Emory spokeswoman Elaine Justice told the newspaper.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.