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Orion Publishing Group chief executive David Young [pictured], literary agents Clare Conville and Carole Blake, and author Mark Billingham are among those from the book trade volunteering to spend a night in jail for charity.
Profile m.d. Andrew Franklin, Canongate's Jamie Byng and The Bookseller’s editor Philip Jones are also putting themselves forward to be locked up to raise money for The Book Trade Charity and The Howard League for Penal Reform.
The cells in question are based at the offices of Pavilion Books in the old Hammersmith Magistrates Court, within which are six grade two-listed holding cells, last used to detain individuals in the 1960s. Sixteen people from the trade have been selected for "auction", and the six who raise the most money will spend the night in prison, with only a book of their choice for company.
Also volunteering to be banged up are Blue Door publisher Patrick Janson-Smith; writer Anne Sebba; Nielsen’s Jonathan Nowell; Society of Authors’ chief executive Nicola Solomon; The Howard League’s director Frances Crook; Pavilion chief executive Polly Powell; Seni Glaister, chief executive of The Book People; former Aurum Publishing Group m.d. David Graham; and Kevin McGrath, the High Sheriff of Greater London.
The initiative was conceived by David Graham, who is working at Pavilion as a consultant. Pavilion (formerly Anova) is relocating to Bloomsbury at the end of June. The event is being promoted by The Bookseller, BookBrunch, and a UK national paper.
All donations will be split equally between the Howard League and The Book Trade Charity.
The Howard League for Penal Reform was selected as the second beneficiary due its campaign for a repeal of a law that denies book parcels to prisoners.