Charity shop to auction rare book

A RARE first edition Enid Blyton book found at the bottom of a cardboard box in a charity shop could raise £200 at auction today.

The book, Beatrix Potter: The Derwentwater Sketchbook, was discovered by staff at an Oxfam shop in Newland Avenue, Hull, and will go on sale at Bonham’s in London today.

Shop manager Matthew Harding said: “We found the Beatrix Potter: The Derwentwater Sketchbook, by Enid Blyton, which dates back to the 80s, at the bottom of a cardboard box. It didn’t look much but the volunteers pushed me to look it up. I am very glad we did.

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“I am so excited to be taking this book to Bonham’s as it could fetch a lot of money to help with Oxfam’s life-changing work.”

The auction is the curtain raiser to Oxfam’s third annual Bookfest, which runs from Saturday until July 17 and highlights the selection of books available in its stores.

Last year’s event saw a nine per cent increase in book donations to Oxfam and a £400,000 increase in book sales. The charity is hoping to build on this.

David McCullough, Oxfam’s director of trading, said: “During our three-week book donation drive, which ran in May, we saw a 17 per cent increase in book donations.

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“This means that Oxfam shops and bookshops are bursting with fantastic books in time for Bookfest.

People were fantastically generous during the donation drive and we really hope that they will show the same level of support during Bookfest and come along to their local Oxfam shop or bookshop to enjoy the brilliant range of events and promotions taking place.”

Proceeds will go towards Oxfam’s work against poverty.

The sale of two books in an Oxfam shop is enough to pay for one day’s home-based care for a person living with HIV or Aids in South Africa, while the sale of three could provide 10 days’ worth of basic food rations for a family in an emergency situation, the organisation said.

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