Authors for the Philippines: bid on lots of cool stuff from authors & others in publishing, with proceeds to the typhoon Haiyan appeal

by Teri Terry

Authors for the Philippines:

An online auction in aid of the Typhoon Haiyan Appeal : Bidding opens 8am Wednesday 13th November and will close 8pm Wednesday 20th November (both GMT)

Here it is: http://authorsforphilippines.wordpress.com

Authors, agents, editors, illustrators: would you like to donate an item for auction? 
Here's how. Go here and follow instructions. It's easy - an email, what is up for auction, a few words of bio, and away we go! The awesome Keris Stainton is the boss, and thanks so much to her for all her hard work in setting things up (previously she set up Authors for Japan, which raised over £12,000 for the tsunami appeal).

And everyone - readers, writers and all in-between: WOW.
There is so much cool stuff on offer, and there is only one WEEK to bid. Don't risk missing out.
Here are some examples, but there is loads more on the website:

• a character named after you! by Liz de Jager, here; by Keren David, here; and in my next book, Game of the Few, by Teri Terry, here
• a school visit to YOUR school! by me, Teri Terry - here; or an author event by Sally Nicholls, here
• SO many signed books, from all your favourite authors! Like a first edition of the Graveyard Book, signed by Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell, donated by Sue Eves; signed books from Cathy Cassidy, Clodagh Murphy, Gillian Philip, and many, many more 
• original artwork by Debi Gliori, here
• and so much for writers: manuscript critique by Random House editorial director, Becky Stradwick, here; an email critique from children's book agent, Julia Churchill, here; a submission package critique from author Ruth Warburton, here; there are many, many more opportunities for writers.

And here are a few words from Candy Gourlay - Notes from the Slushpile magnate, author and most of all right now, someone who is worried for her friends and family back home, as reproduced from Authors for the Philippines:

Waking up to apocalyptic photographs of my native Philippines I was filled first with fear for my family at home. The next emotion was guilt.

Guilt because here I was, receiving hundreds of messages of concern and commiseration from friends all over the United Kingdom when the only thing I have endured over the weekend was suffering by association.

Thank you, friends, my family escaped unscathed as Typhoon Haiyan – Yolanda, as we named her in the Philippines, swerved away from the capital city Manila where they live and set out across the South China Sea for Vietnam. But others have not been so lucky.

You do not need me to repeat the awful statistics, the gruesome coverage, the details of lives swept away by a storm that will make history as the most powerful ever to make land fall since meteorologists began to keep weather records.

But what can we do? This question has been asked over and over again in the messages that have come pouring into my inbox. WHAT CAN WE DO?

We are not on the ground to share the suffering, we are not there to help pack boxes or offer comfort to those who have lost everything.

This Philippine disaster with talk of storm surges and families swept away has reminded many of the Japanese tsunami of March 2011.

At the time, a group of British authors led by young adult author Keris Stainton set up the campaign Authors for Japan. It galvanized booky people here and abroad to donate books, merchandise, manuscript critiques even character names to successfully raise more than £12k for the cause.

Keris et. Al. on hearing about the Philippines have, without hesitation, decided to go for it again with Authors for the Philippines.

On behalf of my suffering country, I thank all the kind people who are participating in this auction – let us show the world that good can follow bad. The Philippines was a poor country to start with and the road to recovery is going to be long and arduous. With your support, not only will we be able to help the victims of the disaster but make sure that they are not forgotten, even after the headlines are gone.

MARAMING SALAMAT PO.