SEATTLE, WA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 10/04/06 -- Paperblanks™, manufacturers of distinctively designed journals, address books and dayplanners, and 826 Seattle, the city's only free nonprofit writing and tutoring center for children and young adults, today announced the inception of the first-ever "Three Elements" writing contest.

Headquartered at the Greenwood Space Travel Supply Store in Seattle, 826 Seattle's "Three Elements" contest will challenge aspiring authors to write stories that include at least one references to each of three items -- a famous author, space travel, and jelly donuts. Each student who enters the contest will receive a free Paperblanks journal and will be invited to attend free writing workshops at 826 Seattle where they will collaborate with writing instructors to fine-tune their work.

The Grand Prize winner will receive $3,000; first and second prize winners will receive $1,000 each. The awards will be presented on Saturday, December 2nd by celebrated Northwest writer and performer Sherman Alexie, author of 17 books and several collections of poetry. Prizes will be in the form of an educational savings bond, credits towards the GET (Guaranteed Education Tuition) Program or cash, depending on the age of the winners.

"Writing longhand is becoming something of a lost art for people today and can be good practice for aspiring writers," said Dave Eggers, founder of 826 Valencia and McSweeney's literary journal. "We are thrilled to partner with Paperblanks to sponsor the first annual Three Element writing contest and provide kids with an opportunity to creatively express themselves while sharing their work with others."

The "Three Elements" writing contest is open to anyone in the King County area, age six to 18. Participants in the contest must attend at least one 826 Seattle writing workshop before November 4 to be eligible. A panel of judges selected by 826 Seattle will review all of the submissions and select three finalists for the December award ceremony. Entries can be creative fiction, non-fiction or essay and must be between 250 and 2,000 words long. More information about the contest can be found at www.826seattle.org.

"826 Seattle is a truly visionary organization that is helping kids and young adults discover the joys and rewards of writing," said Vic Marks, President of Hartley and Marks, the publisher of Paperblanks. "Paperblanks is proud to provide young authors with the tools and support they need to help realize their writing dreams, and we look forward to working with 826 and the Seattle community for many years to come."

About Paperblanks

Paperblanks™, a division of Hartley and Marks Publishers, Inc., produces a complete line of unique handcrafted journals that elevate the traditional journal to functional art. With hundreds of unique cover designs that incorporate a wide range of design influences from traditional Asian art and renaissance aesthetics to the art deco stylings of Louis Tiffany, Paperblanks unites form with function to elevate the writing experience. Paperblanks journals, dayplanners, and address books are available for purchase in the U.S. at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Borders and select specialty retailers. For more information, visit www.paperblanks.com

About 826 Seattle

826 Seattle (www.826seattle.org) is a nonprofit writing and tutoring center dedicated to helping youth, ages six to 18, improve their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. Its services are structured around the belief that great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success. 826 Seattle is one of six 826 National chapters. The original, 826 Valencia, was founded by acclaimed author and philanthropist Dave Eggers and is located in San Francisco's Mission District (www.826valencia.org). The others are in Ann Arbor (www.826michigan.org); Brooklyn (www.826NYC.org); Chicago (www.826chi.org); and Los Angeles (www.826la.org).

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