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Alan Bennett, Jilly Cooper and Joanna Trollope are among the authors donating books with personal inscriptions to an auction to raise funds for the National Literacy Trust (NLT).
Sixteen authors have donated titles, many from their own library, to the trust's Transforming Reads auction. Each book has been signed by the donor and includes an inscription explaining why they gave it to the auction and the importance of the book on their own life.
Candida Lycett Green has signed a childhood favourite written and illustrated by her father, John Betjeman. Axel Scheffler has donated a copy of Shrek! and has included a picture of the Gruffalo beside his own illustration. Each book and the inscriptions can be viewed online. The auction closes this Friday at 2pm.
All proceeds from the auction will go towards supporting the trust's work supporting literacy among disadvantaged communities across the UK. The NLT said it needs to raise £1m this year to continue its work.
Jonathan Douglas, NLT director, said: "We’re delighted that these leading authors have donated the books that have transformed their lives, so we can continue to transform lives through literacy. It’s a worrying fact that in the UK today, one person in six struggles with their literacy. Poor literacy can negatively affect all areas of an individual’s life – from housing and employment to relationships, health and happiness."
The full list of writers and their donated books is:
Antony Beevor – The Face of Battle by John Keegan
Alan Bennett – The Uses of Literacy by Richard Hoggart
Malorie Blackman – The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Lauren Child – The Shrinking of Treehorn by Florence Parry Heide
Jilly Cooper – The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge
Cressida Cowell – Peter Pan by JM Barrie
Charlie Higson – Pop.1280 by Jim Thompson
Shirley Hughes – William – The Fourth by Richmal Crompton
Judith Kerr – The Wall by John Hersey
Candida Lycett Green – Archie & the Strict Baptists by John Betjeman
Sue MacGregor - Half of the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristoff & Sheryl Wudunn
Michael Morpurgo – The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono
Axel Scheffler – Shrek! by William Steig
Simon Sebag-Montefiore – Diaghilev: A Life by Sjeng Scheijen
Tom Stoppard – Leave it to Psmith by PG Wodehouse
Joanna Trollope – The Towers of Trebizond by Rose Macauley