War Horse author Sir Michael Morpurgo has donated a unique prize to a Manchester charity event – the chance to name a character in his next novel.
The annual Michael Josephson Charity Ball has raised millions for a variety of children’s charities and this year will be held at Manchester’s Hilton, Deansgate on November 16.
And organisers are hoping the event will smash last year’s total of £1,063,872 with the help of globally-esteemed author Morpurgo, who is offering the name in his next book.
Josephson said: “The dream is to exceed this figure this year.
“I am sure this rare opportunity to name a character within one of Sir Michael’s novels will be extremely popular amongst our supporters. We are so grateful to him.”
Morpurgo has written more than 150 books, including War Horse which was adapted into a hugely-popular play as well as a Steven Spielberg movie. His most recent novel Cobweb was released this year.
He said: “I can’t wait to learn the name I’ll be giving to a character in my next book.
“And please be as generous as you can. Children are our journey to the future. It’s up to all of us to help them on that journey.”
He is a longstanding supporter of children’s charities, particularly The Anne Frank Trust – one of the five main beneficiaries of the 2024 charity ball.
This year’s ball will also be supporting Variety, the Children’s Charity, Mahdlo, Youth Zone, Seashell Trust and Rainbow trust – who all support children and young people in need.
