HA NOI (VNS)— The Italian embassy in Ha Noi yesterday awarded the author Pham Hoai Diep the first prize in a contest for women.

The competition, titled I Am Wonderful, is the brainchild of Italian journalist Loredana De Vitis and has received attention throughout Europe. The Italian embassy launched the Vietnamese version in March and called for women to send photos or stories which reveal their beauty and behaviour. In addition to the main competition, monthly prizes have also been awarded.

Diep, who lives in Ha Noi, was the winner of June's prize with a piece of writing entitled Escape. She wrote about her permanent worry and the pressure she puts on herself to be beautiful. The work impressed judges enough for them to crown her the winner of the whole contest.

All the winners were sponsored by the embassy and the Viet Nam Women's Association to attend in the official awards ceremony.

De Vitis's photos and the works of the winning entrants will be shown together at an I Am Wonderful exhibition held at the Museum of Vietnamese Women on 36 Ly Thuong Kiet Street.