Dame Beryl Bainbridge will officially launch Books for Amnesty, a second-hand book shop whose proceeds will support the work of Amnesty International, at 12pm in Camden on Monday 13 December.

There will be wine, nibbles and second-hand books at hugely discounted prices at Books for Amnesty’s new home, 241a Eversholt St, Camden, NW1.

Amnesty International will also be collecting photographs for its 'Control Arms' Million Faces Petition which aims to get a million people to join the call for tougher controls on the Arms.

Amnesty International book shops around the UK sell thousands of books every year. Lara Woolston, Sales Manger at Amnesty International UK, said:

'We’re very lucky to receive everything in our shops from the latest paperback fiction to bequests of people’s whole collections – so much so that we’ve been able to set up a catalogue of rare and valuable books. The supply just never dries up – I think it’s also the whole home make-over phenomenon, encouraging people to clear it all out!

'There is an insatiable demand for second-hand books, and charity shops are attractive because you can donate or buy and support something you care about at the same time.'