Welsh writer Ken Follett will donate the royalties from his book Notre-Dame, published after the Paris cathedral was ravaged by fire in 2019, to help restore another Gothic cathedral in Brittany, it was announced Monday. 

Follett wrote the short e-book celebrating the history of Notre Dame to raise money for its restoration following the devastating fire in April 2019. 

But France's Heritage Foundation said they had decided together to use the money – around 150,000 euros – for another project – restoring the Saint-Samson cathedral in Dol-de-Bretagne – since the Paris restoration is not short of funds. 

The Gothic cathedral of Saint-Samson in Dol-de-Bretagne. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Follett was inspired by Notre Dame for his 1989 historical novel, The Pillars of the Earth, which recounts the construction of a Gothic cathedral in 12th century England. 

Another book in that series was set in the Paris cathedral itself.

The cathedral in Dol-de-Bretagne is in a state of severe disrepair. A five-year, 2.4 million-euro restoration project was launched in 2019.