A second-hand bookshop has fetched £600 online from a rare Russian novel donation, with the proceeds going to animal welfare charities.
House of Hodge, on Blackstock Road, found a UK first edition of Mikhail Sholokhov’s And Quiet Flows the Don among its donations. After volunteers consulted experts, the novel was sold within minutes on eBay.
Gilbert Bankual, a volunteer at the shop, said the “mysterious” donation came from a house in Muswell Hill.
“It’s a dream for every bookshop to be able to find something,” said Mr Bankual. “The only thing is just to be able to spot it.”
The novel follows Russian life in the early twentieth century, was first translated into English by Stephen Garry in 1934.
It is not the only big sale the shop has seen recently. Last month, a three-volume book on the architect Sir Edwin Lutyens also sold for £600. The two sales are the largest the shop has ever made.
Launched in 2009 to raise money for animal welfare, House of Hodge donates all profits to charity alongside running local literacy projects.
Mr Bankual said the there was a “real community” surrounding the shop, with people donating books from across Hackney and Islington.
“It’s such a mixed bag in terms of culture,” he said. “It’s an interesting area for the people who live here and for the books they bring to the shop.”
Sam Lakha, manager and chairperson, said the shop raised £21,000 last year, distributed among charities including Finsbury Park Animal Hospital and Streetvet. She added that sales have increased, and the shop is likely to contribute “considerably more” this year.
“The shop is thriving,” said Mr Bankual. “Every year we bring in more money for charity.”
