Published: 4 December, 2013
By STEVE BARNETT

COMEDIAN and writer David Baddiel was among a literary line-up of luminaries that gathered at Camden School for Girls on Saturday for their ever-popular Christmas book fair.

The TV funnyman, who starred alongside Rob Newman in The Mary Whitehouse Experience and had a comedy-partnership with Frank Skinner, read from his book The Death of Eli Gold before taking questions from the audience.

His wife Morwenna Banks, known for her role in the comedy series Absolutely and voicing Mummy Pig in Peppa Pig, also took to the stage at the secondary school in Sandall Road, Camden Town, to show her support for the book fair as she read from her radio play Goodbye.

“Thank you very much to everyone for coming to this event, supporting the school and buying books,” said Mr Baddiel. “And thanks to everyone at Camden School for Girls for promoting books and reading in such a brilliant way. It must have been a success as, by the time I left, virtually every book on sale had gone!”

Organised by the Camden School for Girls’ Community Association, the lavish line-up of authors also included Louise Doughty, who read from her best-selling book A Novel in a Year, and Booker-shortlisted Deborah Levy, who read from Black Vodka.

With published parents, including Sheila Hayman and David Pearl, also bringing along their books to sell, there certainly was plenty to inspire the next generation of authors.

It worked wonders for Mia Gane, 12, who won the 140-character Story in a Tweet competition, and with it a £20 voucher to spend at the Owl Bookshop in Kentish Town.

After watching almost all of the heavily discounted new and second-hand books get snapped up, organiser Jane Hindle said: “The contributions of very many parents and teachers – who did everything from distributing flyers, making cakes and donating raffle prizes – made it a real community-building event and one that we hope captured the imagination of everyone involved.”

Overall the book fair proved a tremendous success, raising just over £3,500, which will be used for after-school clubs, educational visits and student participation.