More than 20 celebrities, including Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan and Harry Potter actor Papa Essiedu, are auctioning off meaningful items to raise money for students in Gaza.
The auction, coordinated by charity Phoenix Space, will begin on July 27 and will also include items from Brian Cox, Gary Lineker, Paloma Faith, Maxine Peake, Juliet Stevenson, Charlotte Church, Harriet Walter, Vanessa Redgrave and Janet Suzman. This follows the UK government’s announcement that it will support students from the Gaza Strip to travel to and study in the UK, but on fully-funded scholarships.
Coughlan and his Derry Girls co-star Siobhan McSweeney have donated autographed behind-the-scenes photos, and Essiedu is auctioning off his personal copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. “I can’t imagine almost every university being destroyed and vast amounts of talent in every field going to waste, with no opportunities or options at all,” he said in a statement. “It would be wonderful if this book could somehow open up the future for these talented students.”
Other donated items include a Japanese soccer shirt signed by Lineker. Peake’s “I Swear” production hoodie. The first collection of poetry owned by Stevenson. Church’s next wellness retreat spot. Walter’s personal script for the all-female production of Julius Caesar by Donmar Warehouse and a signed copy of her book. A necklace worn by Redgrave in “The Long Day’s Journey into Night.” and Suzman’s vintage Christian Lacroix brooch.
According to Phoenix Space, hundreds of students in Gaza have been offered admission to British universities but say they do not have the funds to do so. This year, students have received offers from the University of London, Imperial University and Edinburgh University for subjects such as artificial intelligence and cognitive neuroscience.
Bidding will begin on July 27 and will run for 10 days on the Gaza Scholarship Auction website.
