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Author Nicola Davies will this autumn sell off artwork donated by illustrators such as Steve Antony and Sophy Henn to her #3000Chairs campaign, which raises money to help child refugees.
Davies launched #3000Chairs in 2016 to highlight the plight of unaccompanied child refugees attempting to settle in the UK, alongside writing a book, illustrated by Rebecca Cobb and published by Walker Books, about an orphaned child who has to flee war.
“The story of an orphaned child, fleeing from the destruction of war and refused entry to school because ‘there is no chair for you to sit on’, struck a chord; artists and writers, adults and children, posted their pictures of empty chairs to an online gallery. Each one was a symbol of the welcome and kindness we would like to see extended to these children, who have suffered so much,” she told The Bookseller.
The artwork, which can be seen on Instagram under the hashtag #3000chairs, will be given away at an an event at Foyles Charing Cross on 3rd September, where Davies and Cobb will talk about the book. The chairs will be distributed anonymously in blank envelopes in exchange for a standard donation on the night, and a few special pieces will be auctioned at a later date.
The money raised will then be donated to Help Refugees, which provides humanitarian aid to and advocacy for refugees around the world.
The event will take place on 3rd September at Foyles Charing Cross Rd in London.