#BooksForGaza: Writers hold fundraiser to help Gaza's children

Prominent authors Sonia Faleiro, Fatima Bhutto, and literary agent Julia Churchill are organising an online auction #BooksForGaza to raise funds to help the children of Gaza.

They are putting up signed copies of their books for auction to raise money for the Ghassan Abu Sittah Children's Fund. The entirety of the fund raised will go to the children of Gaza, ensuring they receive necessary medical care, including important reconstructive surgery.

According to a report by UNICEF, more than 1,000 children have had one or both legs amputated since October 7. 

Gaza's Ministry of Health highlights that within the three months since then, a staggering 22,000 Palestinians have been killed, while 57,000 have sustained injuries. The situation is particularly dire for children who are experiencing high rates of injury and fatality. Last November, the UN Secretary General said, "Gaza is becoming a graveyard for children". Following that, the crisis has worsened due to humanitarian aid being blocked. 

Earlier, several authors, including Sally Rooney and Anne Enright, wrote an open letter calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

The list of authors to participate in this online auction include Sally Rooney, Mohsin Hamid, Kamila Shamsie, Ali Smith, Rupi Kaur, Elif Shafak,Olivia Laing, Naomi Klein, Abdulrazak Gurnah, Salman Rushdie, Pankaj Mishra, R.F. Kuang, Tania James, Vauhini Vara, and more.  

While this impressive lineup encompasses authors from diverse backgrounds, it is particularly noteworthy to highlight the support of South Asian literary figures. Renowned authors such as Mohsin Hamid, Kamila Shamsie, Salman Rushdie, Fatima Bhutto, Sunny Singh, Deepa Anappara, and Pankaj Mishra, among others, are actively contributing their signed books to the #BooksForGaza auction. 

As these accomplished authors join hands for the #BooksForGaza initiative, the auction's mission statement outlines a powerful commitment undertaken by luminaries of the literary world. 

"#BooksforGaza is mobilising a global coalition of writers to raise funds for injured children by donating signed copies of their books in exchange for a donation to The Ghassan Abu Sittah Children's Fund. The mission of the Fund is to transport critically injured children and their carers from Gaza to Lebanon for surgical, medical, psychological, and social care, and to put in place a long term care plan for each child, with the goal of helping each child back into their communities where they will resume their life as normally as possible", the statement reads. 

With each book going for auction starting at GPB 35 (pound sterling), the ongoing auction has already raised GPB 43,943 (about USD 50, 000), reaching 87% of its fundraising goal. The auction will run until February 12. 

Usraat Fahmidah is a freelance journalist and writer. You can find them on X (formerly Twitter) @usraatfahmidah.