Tupelo Tornado Relief is One for the Books

On April 28, 2014, a massive tornado devastated Tupelo, Miss. While many groups have formed to help rebuild the city, one Tupelo resident has taken her love of books and reading to a new level.

Freelance writer, Book Riot contributor, former HottyToddy.com editor and Ole Miss grad Emily Gatlin has collected 150 signed books to be auctioned off to raise money for Tupelo’s recovery. All proceeds from Books for Tupelo will be donated to the CREATE Foundation’s Northeast Mississippi Tornado Relief Fund.
According to the Books for Tupelo website, each signed book was donated either directly by the author, the publisher, an independent bookstore, or a close friend of the author. Some notable signatures include J.K. Rowling, Dan Rather, Elizabeth Gilbert, Joan Rivers and many more.
“My friends in the book industry were checking on me before I even ran to my basement,” Gatlin said. “After the storm, they asked what they could do to help Tupelo residents get back on their feet. The only reasonable thing I could think of was to host an online signed book auction. The donations started pouring in immediately from authors, publishers, and bookstores.”
Gatlin added that since the auction went live on Sunday, the response has been incredible.
Tupelo’s 35,000 residents are helping each other as much as possible, but it’s obvious that more assistance is necessary to bring the four time All-America City Award winner back to its pre-tornado glory.
Curious what other titles and authors made the auction list? Visit BooksforTupelo.com to learn more. Then Click Here to place your bid today! But HURRY, all auctions end on August 6th!