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Gaiman, Shannon and El-Arifi donate books for Turkey and Syria auction
A group of Syrian authors have launched a book auction in response to the devastating earthquakes that hit Syria and Turkey.
Titled "Books for Turkiye and Syria", the auction launched on 8th February and has already raised over $60,000 (£50,000). Authors, bookshops and publishers around the world have donated special edition books, while a host of agents and editors have donated critique packages.
From the UK, Neil Gaiman has contributed a rare signed leather-bound edition of Coraline (Bloomsbury), fantasy author Samantha Shannon has given a signed UK hardback edition of Day of Fallen Night (Bloomsbury) and Sunday Times bestseller Saara El-Arifi has donated a signed first edition of The Final Strife (HarperVoyager) with sprayed edges.
Several UK-based agents and publishers are supporting the auction, too. Hannah Todd from the Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency has donated a critique package which includes feedback on a cover letter, synopsis, the first 5,000 words of a manuscript as well as a half-hour phone call.
Author and organiser Nadine Presley said: “As a Syrian with a build up of over a decade’s worth of hopelessness, the earthquake brought back all the pain we’ve been carrying deep in our hearts. I’m so grateful that this time around we are able to help and make a difference, thanks to the incredible support of the writing community.”
Fellow writer and organiser Rhonda Roumani added: “It has been difficult for aid to get into Syria because of the sanctions. And because our team knows the story of Syria deeply, we are familiar with the best organisations and people who have been working on the ground in Syria for more than a decade. When people say ‘We want to help. Who do we donate to?’ It was important for us to let people know which organisations we trust. We couldn’t just sit down and do nothing.”
The collective is hoping to raise $100,000 (£82,000) before the auction closes on Thursday 16th February and is asking winners to donate the money directly to one of two selected charities: Mercy-USA or the Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations (US or Canada).
