James Patterson gives away £130,000 to independent bookshops

US thriller author makes grants to shops in UK and Ireland that have a dedicated childrens section in bid to encourage reading

Grisly murders and serial killers are James Pattersons stock in trade, making the thriller writer one of the worlds bestselling authors. But now UK booksellers are celebrating Pattersons sunnier side after he handed out over £130,000 to independent bookshops in a quest to get children reading.

Patterson, who topped Forbess recent list of the worlds richest authors with earnings of more than $90m in the last year, announced his intention to give £250,000 to UK bookshops earlier this summer, following a pledge to donate $1m to US bookshops last September. Far too many children are in danger of living their lives without books. This runs the risk of living in a world run by the short-sighted, by the empathy-challenged, and by the glib, said the novelist at the time. Bookshops are the most viable bulwark against this and I need to be part of the fight to ensure their survival.

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