AN author has raised around £3,000 for a local charity from a series of books so far - and hopes his ninth, out now, will boost that total further.
Roger Quick began writing to entertain his grandchildren and his books have grown to encompass short stories and even turned him into an actor after working some of the stories into monologues and dialogues to perform on stage, with the help of some amateur actor friends.
Scripts for these have produced his latest book, Roger Quick Is Here To Entertain You, which he and his wife, Diane, can be seen selling on Todmorden Market most Saturdays.
Proceeds from the books go to Age UK Todmorden, and having raised nearly £3,000 so far, Roger, of California Drive, Todmorden, gets a real sense of satisfaction that his work is not only being read and performed but also benefiting a good cause.
“The book is a departure from what I have done in the past, which includes children’s poetry, short stories based on anecdotes and one about Yorkshire legends like Robin Hood and Dick Turpin.
“People like Malcolm Heywood and Barbara Waring helped turn some of the stories into monologues or dialogues, so book number nine is a collection of some of the scripts.
“I started writing stories for my grandchildren and now I’m an entertainer!” he said.
The play adaptions are proving so popular that in the run up to Christmas Roger and friends have nine engagements, as far afield as Accrington, Burnley, Littleborough and Whitworth.
With the money raised for Age UK Todmorden set to pass £3,000 by next April, the benefit for the charity is that it has been able to run trips to places like Towneley Hall at Burnley, Shibden Hall, Halifax, Whalley Abbey and Hollingworth Lake.
“We have a specially adapted coach we use and can take people who are usually housebound. They also need pushers and carers and we hold about four events a year,” said Roger.
All Roger’s books are £2.99 and he also sells children’s colouring pads for 75p - watch for him and Diane on their Saturday market stalls, where you can easily pick them out by their Age UK Todmorden banner.
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