Few of us are talented enough to pen a best-selling novel or carry off literary prizes. But last night book lovers at a charity auction made their own bids for literary immortality by helping out seven authors in search of a character.
They each paid up to £6,200 to have their names used in future novels by writers including Kathy Lette, Nick Hornby and Sebastian Faulks. Rose Tremain, Louis de Bernieres, Jim Crace and Hanif Kureishi also took part, ensuring that hopefuls could see their name in print whatever their literary taste.
The top bid, for a role in Ms Lette's next comic romp, was so impressive that the novelist vowed to give winning bidder Shelaine Green a correspondingly hefty part in the plot.
"Size does count, so I'm going to make her a main character," Ms Lette promised. "I'll make her a feisty, gorgeous girl with a black belt in kung fu."
Ms Green, still looking slightly shell-shocked after her £6,200 bid, said: "I want to be outrageous and sassy - but with Kathy Lette that's guaranteed. I did get a bit carried away. I didn't plan to bid quite so much but it's a great cause so it's worth going over the top for."
The Medical Foundation for Victims of Torture raised over £13,000 through the auction, which was held at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in London. Football-crazy bidders pushed the price for a Nick Hornby character up to £2,050, while a part in the next Sebastian Faulks book went for £2,800.
With no say over how their names are used, the successful bidders have no idea if their identity will go to a hero or villain. In theory, at least, their name could one day be as unpleasantly evocative as unctuous Uriah Heep, demonic Mr Hyde or evil Professor Moriarty.
But the authors pledged to play fair and do the buyers justice. Whitbread prize-winner Jim Crace, whose last novel Being Dead opened with a couple lying dead on a seashore, said: "They shouldn't expect, in my case at least, to be turned into a romantic hero. They are going to get something of a bumpy ride, but I think they'll still be delighted."
Sebastian Faulks offered "at the very least a shopfront" but more probably a diplomat, in his next novel, adding: "With small characters thinking of the names is a tremendous nuisance, so this is actually doing me a favour."
Proceeds from the auction, which was sponsored by bol.com and devised by two Medical Foundation staff members, will go to the charity's £4.7m Under One Roof appeal for a new building to tackle growing waiting lists as demand for its services increases. The foundation is dedicated to helping victims of torture and organised violence and has aided more than 20,000 people. Clients range from former Japanese prisoners of war to asylum-seekers fleeing areas of conflict.
Bizarrely, crime writer Ruth Rendell told the organisers she "loathed" the idea of the auction - then donated £10,000.
Martin Amis and other authors declined to take part after claiming the names of characters were integral parts of their novels.
Medical Foundation director Helen Bamber said the auction had raised a total of £25,000, adding: "We were delighted with the result and certainly plan to repeat the exercise."
