The Observer Christmas Appeal

The Observer, Sunday January 15 2006

The Observer Christmas Appeal was launched last November in a bid to raise funds for Book Aid International, which each year supplies more than half a million books to some of the world's poorest countries. Last week the charity was celebrating as donations from Observer readers topped £100,000.

After reading our series of reports from Kenya, the Palestinian territories and Malawi, some 2,250 readers were inspired to support the small London-based charity.

Sara Harrity, director of Book Aid International, praised their generosity. 'We are a small charity, so you can imagine that £100,000 makes a big difference,' she said. 'This appeal has been incredibly valuable both in financial terms and as a great opportunity to raise awareness about our work.

'Observer readers' donations will ensure that we can provide 67,000 books to readers. Thank you so very much.'

Book Aid International's projects in the coming year include providing books to schools and public libraries in Zimbabwe and Sudanese and Somali refugee camps in Kenya.

Among the charity's supporters are the writers J.K. Rowling, Richard Curtis, Benjamin Zephaniah and Alexander McCall Smith, who said: 'Nobody who has been in a developing country and seen the hunger for the printed word could ask what the point of Book Aid International is. The work of this organisation responds to that hunger and brings knowledge and pleasure to many, many thousands of people throughout the world.'

Readers can still make donations by calling 0800 013 2360 or going online at www.observer.co.uk/bookaid