An online auction featuring exclusive literary items will be launched today ahead of Book Week Scotland. Funds from the auction will go towards Scottish Book Trust’s programmes to transform the lives of people across Scotland through reading and writing.
Book Week Scotland runs from 27 November to 3 December and the auction will close on Friday 1 December at noon.
Among the items available to bid on is a signed first edition of the second book in the iconic Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The book is signed by its author JK Rowling and is an exciting opportunity for fans of the series to own a rare piece of Potter magic.
Since the first in the series was published 20 years ago, the Harry Potter books have been distributed in more than 200 territories, translated into 68 languages and have sold over 400 million copies worldwide.
Also part of the online charity auction is the chance to win a portrait from one of the UK’s top illustrators, Chris Riddell. Chris was the 2015-2017 UK Children’s Laureate and is an accomplished artist, as well as the political cartoonist for the Observer newspaper.
Chris will create a portrait illustration of the winning bidder, or someone of their choosing, making this a unique and personal item to keep.
The auction items also include the opportunity for an unpublished writer to receive advice on getting published from leading literacy agency, Jenny Brown Associates. Among the agency’s dozens of authors are top writers Alasdair Gray, Lin Anderson and Sara Sheridan, and they have guided the careers of many more.
The chance to receive valuable one-on-one industry advice, including how to get an agent and how to find a publisher, could be the crucial turning point for a budding writer looking for help to take their work to the next level.
Information on each of the auction items and how to bid is available online at Scottish Book Trust website.
Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “These exciting auction items each offer a rare opportunity to bid for a literary treat, while supporting our work in communities across Scotland. We rely on fundraising, donations and grants to continue bringing our life-changing programmes to people from all walks of life, so that everyone has an equal chance to thrive through reading and writing.
“Book Week Scotland is for everyone and is a celebration of all we love about books and reading, and we hope there will be many bids for these wonderful items.”
Book Week Scotland is a national celebration of books and reading, and this is its sixth year. Working with a wide range of partners, Scottish Book Trust will deliver a huge range of events and activities across the country during Book Week Scotland, all linked to this year’s theme of Nourish.
Central to the week is the events programme which includes hundreds of diverse opportunities for all ages and interests, linking to different strands of the Nourish theme. Among those taking part this year are Val McDermid, Bernard MacLaverty, Christopher Brookmyre, Denise Mina and Judy Murray.
Also for the first time, Book Week Scotland will include a Virtual Festival, a selection of online events that can be enjoyed and accessed by all via Scottish Book Trust’s social media channels.
Book Week Scotland was initiated by the Scottish Government and is supported by £200,000 from the National Lottery through Creative Scotland Targeted Funding, and £24,000 from SLIC.
While the online auction will raise funds for Scottish Book Trust’s diverse programmes across the country, there are other opportunities to support the charity. During Book Week Scotland schools, companies and communities across the country will be encouraged to hold a fundraising book sale or swish, in aid of Scottish Book Trust. A free fundraising toolkit with top tips on holding a book sale is available here.
