Donate £10 to Lumos and have dinner with JKR

[fromorbit]

JKR has made a very generous offer on Twitter:

J.K. Rowling
https://x.com/jk_rowling/status/1929113511004664078

I mean this, by the way. Donate £10 to lumos, I'll draw three names out of a hat and we'll have dinner. It could be KFC, but the wonderful JamesChiavarini has just suggested his restaurant, so it might be there instead (travel and accommodation on me if you're not in London).

Offer stands! Applications close at midnight on Monday. A £10 donation means your name will go into the draw.

https://wearelumos.org/how-you-can-help/donate/

If your name’s chosen and you’re outside London (or the UK) I’ll pay for travel and accommodation.

Once donations have been verified with Lumos I’ll select three donors’ names at random (can’t promise a literal hat, but who knows).

I’ll match the total sum donated to Lumos between first offer and midnight Monday.

And once my three fellow diners have been chosen, we’ll have a vote on whether we’re having KFC or going to Il Portico.

Additional offer from John Boyne:

John Boyne

£10 donated to Lumos. Whoever has the good fortune to win the raffle and have dinner with you, I'll donate £1,000 to the charity of his or her choosing.

This was inspired by JKR's ongoing twitter spat with Jolyon:

I've never sought to auction dinner with myself at a Michelin-starred restaurant with ‘a selection of wines from [my] own cellar’ as you have, Jolyon, but if anyone wants to bung Lumos £10, I'll draw a name out of a hat and we'll split a KFC bargain bucket.

I would be torn between 3 topics:

Womens rights

HP

Her private detective Novels

Just too much to ask her!

When three Mumsnetters win (which would be only fair) how likely is it they’d take copies of their books to get signed?

Each of my kids would want a Harry Potter signing - although they would all probably pick Prisoner Of Azkaban and then fight over it because that’s everyone’s favourite.

Plus one of DH’s Strike hardbacks, obviously.

I own all the Strike novels on Kindle so I'd have to either take my old Harry Potters or buy new copies of the Strike books.

Or get her to sign your kindle 😉

Good luck mumsnetters. I’m convinced it’ll be me though. I’m trying to work out how to appear even vaguely interesting at the dinner and what to wear 😁.

You see, I interpreted that as
'Awww, look at that, that's sweet - Myalternate already loves JKR knowing what she knows about her, just think how much more she'll admire her when she finds out about Lumos'.

I've never read anything by JKR except her wonderful tweets (I'm not into fantasy stuff, or crime stuff, or anything fictional now I come to glance at my 'current reading' pile of books!) so I only admire her for her defence of women's rights and her philanthropy. That's enough admiration to last a lifetime

I suppose I should name-change to admit this, but ah feck it - I think she's a very attractive woman, and if I won the dinner, I'd be trying to get rid of the other two guests ASAP

I’m clearly a wrong ‘un because I have been focusing on what to order (the spaghetti vongole, I think). Although if the vote is for KFC I am buggered, I don’t eat chicken. (I think it’s impolite to eat one’s pets)

I can’t worry about what to wear as I am crap at appearing fancy anyway. JKR can be glamorous enough for all of us.

I had a look at the menu too.

I don't understand the people on this thread saying they wouldn't take up the prize if they won. What is wrong with you??

I am already looking forward to it immensely and I haven't even won yet! 🤣

Il Portico is where Robin met Prudence for dinner in The Running Grave and so JKR even tells us the dress code. Smart casual is completely fine. Even Robin who went straight from work in her work clothes to meet a much wealthier woman with an enviable designer wardrobe was absolutely fine.

I'm wondering how you attend and tell everyone how wonderful she is, without outing yourself as a "hateful terf" when it's not safe/advisable to do so.

Me too. But now I'm panicking that only the £10 donations count😬

Me too. I would sit there smiling inanely the whole time. Although I've donated, I am genuinely terrified of the possibility that I might win.

I’m planning what to wear and I’ve not even donated yet

It's her charity. There is no third party ☺️

I'm in with a chance now too 🤞🤞

I'd have the saltimbocca, roast potatoes and spinach.

As despite loving spaghetti vongole, I'm not disgracing myself by eating it in front of JKR.

I've donated. I'd be in awe of her but would love to win!

I want to know how much money this offer has made for the charity. It’s wonderful to think of what good she can do with it too.

Donated. Though I’m very worried that if I win I will spend the entire evening blushing beetroot red, burbling, giggling and saying ‘OMG’. I am normally a sane human, fully able to converse with others but guys this is JKR! 😳

Ok, so we’ve chosen our mains, schlepped our books to be signed, and are aiming at smart casual (I only have one smart outfit and it’s very warm, so I’m hoping for a cold snap)

Is anyone having a starter? Burrata caponata sounds nice.

No way. She wouldn’t do that. I think it’s just a minimum of a tenner. (I did £20 as well)

I looked at the menu and didn't even know what half the stuff was, let alone what I'd choose!
Ok, so I do know what it is, but I've never eaten it. I'm not fussy though so I'll let someone pick for me.

Tbh it would be wasted on me. I would come out with all sorts of starstruck gibberish and spill food down my top. I'll auction it on MN if JK lets me😁

She confirmed it could be more than £10 when someone asked yesterday so all good!

I got an email receipt for my donation so I’m guessing the lucky winners will be emailed??

It’s ok, I’ll take it off your hands 😉

Do you think the restaurant could put A Massive Salad and Roast Chicken (7 ways) on the specials menu? Just so the MNers can reveal themselves to eachother. They don't have to actually order them, just point them out and eye eachother meaningfully.