Freedom from Torture launches literary auction with donations from Margaret Atwood and Julian Barnes

The charity Freedom from Torture has launched its literary auction today, with prizes including the chance to become a named character in the next bestseller from authors including Michael Morpurgo, Douglas Stuart, Robert Harris, Adele Parks and Ian Rankin. 

Among the 30 literary prizes designed to raise money for the charity are a private tour of the Dickens Museum with Charles Dickens’ descendant, the writer Lucinda Hawksley. Original artworks from the illustrator Quentin Blake and the author Mark Haddon are also up for grabs, as are signed first-editions from Margaret Atwood and Julian Barnes. 

The auction is taking place as part of the charity’s annual literary festival, which explores the theme of "Finding the Words". It includes a bookmark raffle, with entrants winning a signed book and an original bookmark hand-drawn by this year’s authors, which include Stephen Fry, Kate Mosse, Tracy Chevalier and 26 others.  

The festival will end on Thursday 21st November at the prestigious London Library with readings from Julian Barnes, Victoria Hislop, Brian Bilston and Margaret Busby. Comedian and writer Miles Jupp is scheduled to host.   

Author Julian Barnes said: “I have been a patron of Freedom from Torture for over 25 years and sadly their work is just as vital as ever. Those who have been tortured often—literally—lose their voices and cannot speak of what has happened to them. Writing helps unlock what they can tell us, and incredible programmes like Write to Life help to communicate their stories.” 

The auction and bookmark raffle both launch today and will close on Thursday 21st November (21:40 GMT).