Getting a heart for others...

Yet another literary award?Yes, it's a literary prize, but it's completely different from the rest. Firstly, the entrants are different - they have to be under 17. Secondly, the publishing methods are somewhat different. The prize-winners' writing, which is often surprisingly high-quality, is collected and published in a single volume, "Pour Clara", published by Editions Héloïse d’Ormesson Inspired by a very special person. The "Pour Clara" award was invented in memory of a 13-year-old girl who died following a heart malformation. The profits from sale of the book are donated to a charity run by the Necker Children's Hospital (Association pour la recherche en cardiologie du fœtus à l’adulte - ARCFA).

"Pour Clara" was established in 2007, and is enthusiastically supported by a whole range of companies, including the SNCF. The 2007 competition saw six young authors awarded prizes, out of a field of 600. On 2 October, the 2008 Awards will be handed out in the Paris Hôtel de Ville, in the presence of a star-studded panel featuring Erik Orsenna, Florence Malraux and Jorge Semprun among others.

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