A rare signed review copy of Stardust keeps being handed back by its generous winners to raise more money for charity.
by: George Berridge

A rare, signed copy of Neil Gaiman’s 1999 novel Stardust is up for grabs in a charity lottery after being re-donated for the fourth time.

The book – number 28 of just 250 advance review copies – was originally donated to the Worldbuilders fundraiser by Gaiman back in 2008.

Since then, the book has been auctioned annually or entered into the lottery and, each year, has been returned by the winner as an act of generosity so it can help raise money for the next year.

The fundraiser was set up by American author Patrick Rothfuss, author of The Kingkiller Trilogy, as a way of raising money for Heifer International. In its first five years, it has raised just over $2 million for the charity.

Heifer donates livestock to impoverished countries and helps them to become self-reliant.

In an extraordinary coincidence, the same winner, called Maayan, was picked two years running.

On his blog, Rothfuss recounts hearing the result: “At the end of the fundraiser, we run our numbers. We cross-reference our list of prizes with our list of winners.

“When I’m told, I look at the assistant holding the handful of papers with grim, fatherly disapproval, telling them in the gentlest of terms that they’ve ****** up and are obviously using last year’s spreadsheets.

“But no. The truth is, Maayan won it again. For the second year in row.”

She promptly re-donated the book. This year's fundraiser ends on February 2 (06:00 GMT) and has already exceeded its original target of $250,000.

Those wanting to donate and enter the lottery can do so via the Worldbuilders website.

from: Telegraph