Haddon made the announcement on his Twitter and Instagram accounts, saying that from now until the Supreme Court reverses Roe v Wade or some equivalent action is taken, he will be donating all US rights to the book. Photo: Vintage The National Network of Abortion Funds is a network of grassroots organizations “building power to remove financial, logistical, cultural and political barriers to abortion access.” Haddon told the Guardian that his decision to donate his rights was “quite spur-of-the-moment”, following the high court decision removing the right to abortion, and that he wanted to make a “more public statement”. He chose the National Network of Abortion Funds because the money “goes more directly” to people who need support and also because the word “abortion” was in the group’s name, meaning both its intent and his were clear. With this year’s royalties from Curious Incident not due for “a little bit,” Haddon said on social media, he has made a $10,000 donation “to get the ball rolling and as a statement of intent.” The supreme court ruled in June that there is no constitutional right to abortion in the US, overturning the landmark 1973 Roe v Wade decision. Some states made abortion illegal within hours of Roe v Wade’s overturning. Critics of the ruling worry that, in addition to putting lives at risk, it will also lead to the overturning of court rulings related to other rights. Haddon went on to say on Twitter that if the high court tried to “turn its fire” on precedents on contraception, same-sex sexual activity and equal marriage rights for same-sex couples, it “may redirect some of the rights for to help the people affected by these decisions.” The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time was published in 2003 and won 17 literary awards. It was adapted for the stage in 2012 and has sold more than 10 million copies. Haddon is not the only author to show his support for pro-choice organizations. Authors and creators including Neil Gaiman, Shannon Chakraborty, VE Schwab and Sabaa Tahir have donated books to Authors for Abortion Access, an auction that will raise money for the collective power fund of the National Network of Abortion Funds and Keep Our Clinics, a campaign that provides funding to independent clinics to cover costs such as increased security, building repairs and legal fees in the face of abortion bans and restrictions. The auction was organized by authors Rebecca F Kuang and Vaishnavi Patel and has already reached its fundraising goal of $10,000 (£8,500). The auction runs until July 26 and includes signed books, limited edition copies and boxed sets. Among the lots are a rare Easton Press leatherbound edition of Coraline by Gaiman and a signed Schwab special edition The Invisible Life of Addie Larue.
