The AWDC has announced the winner of its Valentine's Day Confessions of the Heart writing competition. Winner Hilde Pinnoo won a heart-shaped diamond with a poem entitled Inuit.

Entrants for the romantic writing competition organized by the AWDC had until Monday to submit their Valentine's Day entries, and around 260 people participated.
 
The rules were that the text be in Dutch, contain the word diamond at least once, and be no longer than 250 words. Participants were given free rein regarding the content of the poem or story, with the aim simply to be to write about love.
 
A jury chaired by Peter Holvoet-Hanssen, the official Antwerp City Poet, judged the entries and selected five poems from which the winners would be chosen. The other jury members represented AWDC, and competition partners and sponsors, including the Stadsfeestzaal shopping centre, Gazet van Antwerpen, NMBS – the Belgian state railway company, NMBS Holding, the city of Antwerp council, and the Diamond Museum of the Province of Antwerp.
 
The AWDC prize winner was chosen by the professional jury and second one, Leen Raats, was chosen by voters from the Gazet van Antwerpen website. Each of them received a heart-shaped diamond mounted in a piece of jewellery accompanied by an HRD Antwerp Jewellery Report.
 
The three others on the finalist shortlist received a smaller heart-shaped diamond, while five smaller heart-shaped gems were presented to five voters on the Gazette's website.
Meanwhile, winners were also selected by readers of Gazet van Antwerpen from a shortlist of five that were posted on the newspaper's website. The winners received their prizes at a special awards ceremony at the Central Train Station on February 14.
 
The shortlisted texts have been posted in Antwerp's Central Train Station and the Stadsfeestzaal centre.