Chiswick Book Festival donates £6,000 to charities

Gyles Brandreth: Odd Boy Out TV and radio personality Gyles Brandreth delves back into his childhood memories as he shares moments from his autobiography Odd Boy Out. He will have you in stitches as he tells of growing up in post-war Britain, prior to a glamorous career meeting princes and presidents, wearing colourful jumpers on Good Morning Britain and much more.

Image above: Author Gyles Brandreth at the 2021 Chiswick Book Festival; photograph Roger Green

The Chiswick Book Festival has donated £6,000 to charities, following last September’s Festival featuring Gyles Brandreth, Ed Balls and Clare Balding. It was one of the first Chiswick events to be held in front of live audiences following the lockdown, though numbers were limited for safety reasons.

The Festival is a non-profit community event which gives all its surplus income, after costs, to reading and community charities. £1,500 is going to each of its 2021 charities:

– Doorstep Library, which recruits volunteers to bring the joy of reading to children in their homes

– InterAct Stroke Support, which provides actors to read books to stroke patients

– The Felix Project, which collects surplus food and delivers it to charities and schools

– and to St Michael & All Angels Church, which hosts, runs and administers the Festival and is itself a charity.

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Author Jane Thynne at her home in Wimbledon, London on Monday, December 10, 2012. Photograph: © Frantzesco Kangaris.

Images above: Authors Ed Balls and Jane Thynne, Director of the Chiswick Book Festival Torin Douglas at the 2021 festival

Nominations sought for new charities to support

Since it started in 2009, the Festival has raised more than £109,000 for charities – and it has now invited the public to nominate new charities for consideration.

Torin Douglas, director of the Chiswick Book Festival, said:

“We were delighted to be back in front of live audiences again and pleased to be able to make these donations, even though we limited the capacity of our venues. We’re very grateful to our authors, audiences and sponsors, who made it possible.

“We are now reviewing our charities, as we do every few years, and inviting people to suggest reading-related charities we can consider for support, alongside our existing charities. Nominations should be emailed to admin@chiswickbookfestival.net by February 28th 2022 – and you can read more on our Charities Review page.”

Chiswick Book Festival Charities Review page

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