Audiobook in Ruby’s memory narrated by star

NATIONAL treasure Stephen Fry has lent his voice to a festive audiobook in memory of a Perthshire schoolgirl.

Ruby Stewart, from Inchture, died in January last year, aged six, three years after diagnosis with rare cancer alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma.

The Unicorn Who Saved Christmas was written by Derek Sword, a neighbour and friend of Ruby’s family, who was inspired by Ruby’s trip to Lapland in December 2019 with parents Claire and Andy.

He approached Stephen Fry’s agent online and was delighted when the actor, comedian and author agreed to help. Derek, 54, said: “When I thought of making my story into an audiobook I Googled ‘best children’s book narrators’ and Stephen’s name appeared.

“I got in touch with his agent with slim hope of him getting back to me, but he came back the following day saying: ‘Stephen would like to help,’ which was amazing.”

Derek said: “Stephen Fry is known as one of the best audiobook narrators in the world. We’re honoured he would give up his time for us.”

The Unicorn Who Saved Christmas is about a young unicorn called Ruby who visits Santa and jumps at the chance to help deliver presents when a reindeer is unwell.

The inspiration came from Ruby’s love of unicorns, which influenced a book written before her death, The Unicorn With The Ruby Horn, which raised more than £15k for the Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group. Proceeds from the new book will go to Super Ruby’s Rhabdo Raiser, a fund at Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group to pay for research into rhabdomyosarcoma.

Ruby Stewart.