Authors auction character naming rights to raise funds for torture survivors

Prominent authors including Margaret Atwood, Zadie Smith, and Ian McEwan are auctioning off the chance for members of the public to name characters in their upcoming novels, the Guardian reported. The auction aims to raise money for Freedom from Torture, a charity that supports survivors of torture. [1]

According to the Guardian, the auction forms part of the tenth anniversary literary festival organised by Freedom from Torture. The festival features live readings and a poetry competition held at the London Library on 11 November, bringing together leading authors and survivors. Other auction items include a rare book by Mary Wollstonecraft illustrated by William Blake. [1]

Smith is an English novelist, essayist, and short story writer who was born in Willesden in north-west London in October 1975. Her debut novel, White Teeth, was published in 2000 and became an immediate best seller. She joined the creative writing faculty at New York University as a tenured professor in September 2010. [3][4]

More than 75 authors are participating in the fundraising effort for the charity, the Guardian reported. [1]