In 2023, the York Ghost Merchants community bid a sad farewell to a beloved collector, Rowan Wildash. A kind and generous collector, Rowan was also a talented artist who crafted a portfolio of beautiful works themed around ghostly figures and spooky iconography, as well as exquisitely crafted custom York Ghosts. To celebrate her memory, this raffle is for a portfolio of Rowan's artwork kindly donated by her partner, Darren. An absolute treasure trove for ghost fans! All of the money raised by the raffle will be delivered to her family in the hopes that it can bring them small comfort and raise funds for Darren’s planned emigration. For those who did not have the pleasure of encountering Rowan either within the social community or in person in the queue down The Shambles, her best friend Jane was kind enough to share the following words: “Whoever wins this ghost will be very lucky, as it belonged to, and was customised by, a magical being. Rowan Wildash was my sister, though not through blood, and there will never be another like her. She was a unique person: quirky, beautiful, full of kindness and compassion (especially for animals), hilariously quick witted and intelligent, and of course, an amazingly talented artist and illustrator. She was also delicate, had too much empathy, and was not quite of this world. Since cancer took her, far too soon (barely 50 years old), I like to imagine her pottering around as a beautiful little ethereal spirit in the netherworld that she created in her drawings… floating through a damp night forest, greeting friendly owls, checking in on the toadstools, settling down with the ghost of her dog Jasper in a comfy chair in an ancient library to read a good book. Free from care, in the place she felt she fitted in… wherever that is. Rowan was a collector of York Ghosts and loved them and the associated community. Whoever wins this Ghost gets to keep a little piece of Rowan’s wonderful spirit, too.”