CREDITON Community Bookshop (CCB) has teamed up with author Patrick Gale to give fans the chance to win a signed copy of one of the two signed proof copies of his new novel "Take Nothing With You", which will be published in August 2018, whilst raising money for The Albert Kennedy Trust (AKT).

AKT works with young LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) people who are homeless or living in a hostile environment after coming out to their families and communities.

Eustace, the young hero of Patrick’s new novel suffers a similar experience. AKT provides safe homes, mentoring and support to 16-25 year-olds in London, Manchester and Newcastle and on a national scale through its online service, inter-AKT.

Crediton Community Bookshop announced the competition at a recent sell-out event hosting Patrick Gale at the bookshop nearly 32 years to the day since his first novel was published, and to mark Tinder Press’s relaunch of his back-list in handsome new editions.

Dee Lalljee, manager of Crediton Community Bookshop, said: "We are thrilled to be working with Patrick and have such a genuinely exclusive prize for fans!

"Signed proofs like this are rare and collectable. We’re hoping to raise as much as possible for the Albert Kennedy Trust while giving the winners a chance to own a piece of literary history.”

Patrick Gale’s 16th novel, "A Place Called Winter", was a Radio 2 Book Club selection and shortlisted for the Costa Novel Prize, the Walter Scott Prize and the Green Carnation Award. It is now being developed as a BBC serial. His two-part film, “Man in an Orange Shirt”, was aired on BBC 1 last summer to resounding acclaim. Patrick is a patron of the Charles Causley Trust, the Penzance Literary Fest, a director of Endelienta and artistic director of the North Cornwall Book Festival. 

For your chance to get your hands on an advanced copy of "Take Nothing With You" please support the work of the Albert Kennedy Trust via the website: https://www.akt.org.uk/crediton or by making a donation at the shop.

All proceeds will go directly to the charity. The competition closes at midnight on April 30, and two winners will be picked at random.

Part of the indie booksellers’ network, CCB is committed to finding creative ways to support community projects, from inspiring school children with stories (and the authors who write them) to providing skills training and improved employability to projects reducing rural social isolation and investing in other community ventures.

Buying a book or voucher from the bookshop means you are supporting an independent bookshop that invests in outreach programmes, workshops, events, volunteering, literacy schemes and fosters the possibility of much more!