Dozens of notable authors are getting on the same page to support the Syrian refugee relief.
Beginning on Thursday, U.K. book retailer Waterstones is giving 100 percent of sales from select titles to Oxfam’s Syria Crisis Appeal, the Guardian reported. Using books donated by famed authors and publishers, the campaign, marketed in the stores as "Buy Books for Syria," aims to raise 1 million British pounds (about $1.5 million).
“Everyone is forgoing profits -- nobody is deducting a penny anywhere, including the distributors and the warehouses, who are doing it for free,” James Daunt, Waterstones managing director, told the Guardian.
A diverse range of authors are participating in the campaign -- including acclaimed writers like Salman Rushdie, Neil Gaiman, Lionel Shriver and Hilary Mantel -- by providing the retailer with their books that will be on display with a “Buy Books for Syria” sticker. According to the Telegraph, Waterstones estimates about 125,000 books will have to be sold to reach its goal.
"I am proud to do as millions of others have, and say 'We see you, we hear you, we will not let you suffer this alone. We promise -- help is coming,'" Caitlin Moran, one of the participating authors, said in a statement published on Waterstones’ website.
Donations from the book sales will go toward providing clean water and support to families in need in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon, according to Oxfam’s blog.
Readers can find the list of books that are part of the initiative here, and can follow and support the campaign on social media using the hashtag #BuyBooksForSyria. To donate directly to Oxfam, click here.
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