Rushdie plans Romania visit to seek cause for his popularity

London: Controversial India-born writer Salman Rushdie is set to visit Romania in a bid to find out why his books are so popular in Transylvania, a news report said on Friday.

"Some people are big in America but I’m big there," said 62-year-old Sir Salman, who recently courted controversy after being slammed by former girlfriend Pia Glenn, who claimed he was still pining for his ex-wife Padma Lakshmi.

"I don’t know the reason for that," he added as he booked a trip to Romania next month. "Maybe in translation they have turned my books into vampire novels," he was quoted as saying by the Daily Express on Friday.

Rushdie seems to have moved on after his split from ex-girlfriend actress Glenn who called him "cowardly, dysfunctional and immature". 'The Midnight's Children' author has already made the acquaintance of one fan in Dracula country – 30-year-old stunning Romanian actress Monica Birladeanu, who was his date at last month’s Venice Film Festival, the British tabloid said.

During his visit Sir Salman will be getting a tour of Dracula’s castle. But will Monica be prepared to roll out the welcome mat given that he was spotted out with 27-year-old author Min Lieskovsky in New York last week? The author was seen attending the Norman Mailer Writers' Colony Gala with author Lieskovsky on his arm, media reports said.