Salman Rushdie has described America’s discourse with the rest of the world as “a dialogue of the deaf.” So in an effort to address the void, Rushdie founded a major literary festival. Run by PEN, the international body charged with protecting writers, the festival brings together more than a hundred authors from around the world.

Michael Maher caught up with the Indian-born novelist whose own life is a testament to what can happen when dialogue breaks down.

WATCH VIDEO