Saramago Donates Royalties To Quake VictimsThe Portuguese writer and Nobel laureate José Saramago -- a self-declared "coherent communist" -- is donating proceeds from the sales of his 49-page short story El Cuento de la Isla Desconocida (The Tale of the Unknown Island) to the thousands of victims left homeless after January's earthquake in Colombia's coffee-growing region.
Ten thousand copies were released to the nation's bookstores. The book sells for about $3.50, and at least $50,000 should end up in the hurricane relief fund. "For a literary work in Colombia, the book is selling very well," said Pilar Reyes, Alfaguara's editorial director in Bogotá. "What's more, not only has Mr. Saramago donated his work, but so has everyone else, from the printer to the newspapers, radio and television, who have given the book free publicity." The story will be published in English by his U.S. publisher, Harcourt, in the fall.
This isn't the first time Saramago has offered his royalties to charity. Shortly after winning the prize, he did the same for the hundreds of thousands affected by last October's Hurricane Mitch in Central America.
Pratt is a freelance writer in Cali, Colombia.
