Hotly tipped retro chanteuse VV Brown releases her debut single ‘LEAVE!’ on March 2nd backed with an intriguing version of The Smiths’ classic ‘This Charming Man’. Its more than just coincidence that led Brown to make this her choice of song to cover. She was inspired by Marian Keys’ novel of the same name which was published in paperback by Penguin on March 5th (World Book Day).

Marian and VV Brown collaborated to raise awareness of Women’s Aid and made the following statement with regards to World Book Day and International Women’s Day

 “Some women have probably never heard of Women’s Aid – and they’re the lucky ones – they’ve never experienced domestic violence, and so they’ve never needed to know about Women’s Aid, and to look for their help.  But 1 in 4 women in Britain and Ireland will experience domestic abuse at some stage in their lives.  That’s an awful lot of us, but despite the high number, the subject is still taboo.  Most victims suffer terrible shame, and often feel no help is available for them.  But Women’s Aid is just a phone call away, facilitating a wide range of services from simply providing a sympathetic ear to enabling a woman to leave her situation and start a new life with safety and dignity.”

While Nicola Harwin CBE, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid says :

“At Women’s Aid we are incredibly grateful to both Marian Keyes and V V Brown for working together to help raise funds for women and children affected by domestic violence. When Marian was researching This Charming Man she spoke to Women’s Aid and a number of women directly affected by domestic violence. Many of the women told Marian how their abusive relationships did not begin with violence and abuse but with charm and romance. This Charming Man will resonate with so many women who have lived with domestic violence, and who have been in abusive relationships with men who are charming in public yet violent behind closed doors.”

Island Records will donate 10p from every 79p download to Women’s Aid. Penguin and Island Records are each making a £1000 flat donation to the charity.