Gazette columnist gives book royalties to Comic Relief (From Gazette Series)

Gloucestershire Gazette columnist Nikki Owen launches Comic Relief fundraising appeal to donate royalties from her book The Boy Who Played Guitar

12:50pm Thursday 7th March 2013 in News By Daniel Chipperfield

GAZETTE columnist Nikki Owen launches her Comic Relief fundraising appeal today by donating the royalties made from her book.

All author royalties from the novel from Thursday, March 8, until, and including, April 29 will go to raise funds for Red Nose Day.

Nikki’s book, The Boy Who Played Guitar, is inspired by local teacher Stuart Langworthy who taught Business Studies for 30 years and whose pupils include Hollywood actor, Simon Pegg.

The novel charts the tempestuous yet heart-warming journey of a secondary school as it transforms into an Academy and follows a worn out teacher and his quest to set up a school choir to boost the failing grades of his troubled students.

“I’m a truly awful Red Nose wearer, so I am definitely doing something funny for money by reading from my book with my red nose on. It will all be very nasal,” said the mum of two.

“I am also a proud member of Simon Pegg’s Twitter Millions team. It is the teacher from Simon’s old school which inspired my novel, so it’s only right that my royalties go to Comic Relief.

“As authors, if we can donate our royalties to Comic Relief, we’ll be raising so much for so many.”

The event’s launch will be held at Brockworth Community Library today from 7 to 9pm to coincide with World Book Day and Mrs Owen will read from The Boy Who Played Guitar as well as from her unfinished second novel, a psychological thriller.

Tickets can be bought in advance at the library or on the door on the evening for £4, and includes drinks and nibbles. The evening will coincide with Nikki’s talk for World Book Day.