"Shalimar The Clown" by Salman Rushdie - Jonathan Cape, London - 2005 first UK edition first printing - 20cmx15cm - condition: fine copy, in dustwrapper in mylar cover, signed by author Rushdie on title page Shalimar the Clown is a 2005 novel by Salman Rushdie.[1][2][3][4] The novel took Rushdie four years to write,[5] and was initially published on 6 September 2005 by Jonathan Cape. Shalimar the Clown derives its name from Shalimar Garden, in the vicinity of Srinagar. Shalimar is one of several Mughal Gardens, which were laid out in several parts of undivided India when the Mughals reigned over the subcontinent. Shalimar is also the name of one of the characters featured in the novel. Shalimar the Clown won the 2005 Vodafone Crossword Book Award and was one of the finalists for the 2005 Whitbread Book Awards