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Members of the book trade gear up for London Marathon this weekend
Members of the book trade are gearing up for the London Marathon this weekend, running for a number of worthy causes.
Hannah Smith, who is joining Penguin Michael Joseph on Monday as editorial director for fiction, is running her first marathon for Macmillan Cancer Support, and has raised £1,348 so far. Her mother was re-diagnosed with cancer at the beginning of January 2021. She said: "This will be her third battle with cancer and has proven to be one of her hardest. Having undergone intense radiotherapy and chemotherapy throughout the beginning of last year, and a lengthy stint in hospital at the height of our third national lockdown, we had the news that this treatment had been unsuccessful. Mum is an incredibly strong woman, and has charged forward with courage and immense bravery at every step, even when hit with devastating blows she’s an absolute inspiration.
"It’s been hard to be so helpless while she’s been suffering, especially as when we weren’t able to visit her in hospital or hold her hand and keep her company while she had her chemo or radio appointments. The pandemic has robbed people of so much in the past two years, and it took away our chance to really be there for Mum.
"To get through both the pandemic, and Mum’s declining health, I threw myself into running last year—going from being unable to run 1k (I was an incredibly unfit human being) to multiple 10ks a week. To give myself a new goal, and a new challenge, I wanted to push myself even further, I ran my first half marathon (while also supporting a good cause). And now, three half-marathons later, it’s time to go the big one—the London Marathon.
"This not only gives Mum a survival goal—to still be here to cheer me on as I cross that finish line, but it also allows me to help support Macmillan, a charity we’re going to have to lean on in the coming months. Running has not only been my mental health saviour, it’s brought me closer to Mum, who has supported me through every step of my journey.
"As with many people who have a family member fighting this disease, I want to do what I can to help raise money for a charity that has helped so many people, and family members, through the fight with cancer."
Simon Appleby, director of Bookswarm Limited, is also running his first ever marathon for Macmillan Cancer Support, in memory of his late sister-in-law, Nicky, who died from breast cancer in 2000. He has raised £3,199 so far. He said: “During her battle with that horrible disease, Nicky received compassionate help and support from Macmillan nurses—which is still one of the many services they provide for people living with cancer. There are around three million people living with cancer in the UK today, and over 360,000 more are diagnosed every year.”
He began running with the Couch to 5K plan in November 2019 and raised £1,600 for Cancer Research last year in the Cambridge Half Marathon.
Also running is Kate Ebdon, assistant buyer for Children’s Books at W H Smith, who is raising money for The W H Smith Group Charitable Trust, which supports local charities in communities across the UK, as well as promoting literacy and a love of reading.
She has raised £1,122 so far and told The Bookseller: “I have always said, ‘one day in my life I will run a marathon and when I do it will be London’. When I set my goal for this year to run more, I never thought I would be running the London Marathon, It’s the most surreal feeling! If I am honest, work got me on a good day, announcing they have spaces left and signed up on a whim. Now here I am, training done, clothes packed and ready to set off on the biggest challenge of my life. I have a few people cheering me on, not just on the streets of London, but in Dubai, Wales, Swindon and up the sky! I am doing it for all you!”
The Book Trade Charity has a team of five running, including Ruth Brooks, Joanna Mower and Bríd Enright, who all work for Pan Macmillan, Flick Hemming, agency assistant at Lorella Belli and co-chair of SYP London, and Arthur Thompson, content and systems solutions manager at Kogan Page.
Hemming said: "I’m really excited if a little nervous for the big day this weekend. I’m proud to be running in support of the Book Trade Charity—for all the great work they do in encouraging new talent into the industry and improving accessibility."
Thompson added: "This is my first marathon and I am delighted to be running it on behalf of the Book Trade Charity. The team is small, but they have a large impact on those in the publishing industry that need help, often at short notice. The support they provide ranges from the provision of housing, emergency payments and social welfare to training and education. They also champion initiatives encouraging reading among younger people and support individuals and families through critical illnesses, such as those looking after partners with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Kogan Page has long been a supporter of BTBS and makes regular donations—I’m proud to be able to add my small personal contribution."
The charity has raised £7,954 so far. Vic Perry, chief executive of the Book Trade Charity, said: “We are so grateful to our Marathon 2022 runners. They have gone above and beyond to raise funds for our vital work during this critical time. Their contribution is especially important this year and they are total heroes in our book.”
