Salman Rushdie plans sequel to ‘Haroun and the Sea of Stories’

TheBookseller.com announced on November 6 that Salman Rushdie will write a sequel to his 1990s children's book Haroun and the Sea of Stories. While an official release date is not set, Luka and the Fire of Life is expected to be published by Jonathan Cape in late 2010, reports the UK-based website.

Salman Rushdie wrote Haroun and the Sea of Stories in 1990 for his oldest son Zafar, who told the author he should write something children could read. Rushdie's first book following The Satanic Verses - and thus the first book he wrote after Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini called for his execution - Haroun tells the story of a 12-year-old boy who goes on a quest to help his father recover his lost gift of storytelling.

According to TheBookseller.com, Rushdie is writing Luka and the Fire of Life for his youngest son, Milan, who was born in 1999. In the sequel, Luka, the younger brother of Haroun, must also help his ailing father, this time by going on a quest to find the fire of life.

Salman Rushdie's novels have earned awards and recognition worldwide. In 2008, on the occasion of Booker Prize's 40th anniversary, his 1981 novel Midnight's Children was named "Best of the Bookers" for the best novel ever to receive that award. Rushdie's books have been translated into 37 languages.