A BOOKSHOP will be auctioning a signed Paul McCartney Lyrics book in aid of Stroud Foodbank

On November 2, Penguin Books is publishing Paul McCartney’s Lyrics, 1956 – The Present: described as “a self-portrait in 154 songs”.

Local booksellers the Yellow-Lighted Bookshop, which has branches in Nailsworth and Tetbury, have managed to obtain one of just 175 copies of a special, signed edition of the new, two-volume book.

The book contains lyrics to 154 songs from all stages of Paul’s career, arranged alphabetically. Each song lyric is accompanied by annotations which describe the circumstances in which they were written, the people and places that inspired them, and what he thinks of them now.

The text comes from conversations Paul had with Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon.

Owner of the bookshop, Hereward Corbett said: “This is a once in a lifetime sort of a book, and we are incredibly lucky to be getting a copy to sell.

"We are in the middle of helping with fundraising to buy books to give to the children of people who need to use Stroud Foodbank at Christmas.

"Inequality is a very real issue locally – and it is getting worse, not better.

"So we have decided to auction this amazing book and give the profits to Stroud Foodbank to help them get as many books as possible into the hands of children who otherwise might not have a book at Christmas.”

People who are interested in putting in an offer for the book should contact the bookshop via their social media, or email lyricsforthefoodbank@gmail.com.

The auction starts at 6pm on Tuesday, October 26 and ends at 6pm on Monday, November 1.

The opening price is £1,000.