Dozens of aspiring writers are one step closer to seeing their dreams come true thanks to author Stephen King, who pitched in to help them become published authors. King, 73, has never forgotten his Maine roots – and when he noticed a local elementary school raising money on Kickstarter to publish two books students had written as part of an after-school writing programme, he stepped in to make it happen. The $6,500 donation came through the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation, a private nonprofit the Carrie author and his wife launched in 1986 to help give back to local Maine communities. The funds will cover the cost of publishing two novels written by the Farwell students with help from Gary Savage, an author, volunteer and director of the school's Author Studies Programme. Though the programme has been in existence for several years, its focus shifted in March when the coronavirus pandemic hit. Once it was moved online, the students were tasked with taking Savage's existing novel Fletcher McKenzie and the Passage to Whole and reworking it into an entirely new tale that incorporates their personal experiences in the coronavirus pandemic. The result was not just one book, but a sequel, too, each reportedly about 300 pages long. Savage told that the books are expected to be printed and published in April, and that the students will be credited as contributing authors.