Eleven members from a women writers' salon presented 74 autographed books to girls who are serving sentences in a reformatory in Chongqing, a municipality city directly under the central government in southwestern China on Tuesday, reports local news website CQnews.net.

During the ceremony, the writers encouraged the girls to start their new life in the future. They hope the girls can obtain more knowledge from the books, says Xing Xiuling, head of the salon.

"I am very excited," a 21-year-old girl said, after receiving a book from Xing Xiuling. She loves reading literary works and is now learning Chinese literature.

However, these books are far from enough, says director of the reformatory, who calls for more donation and help form the society.

In addition, one of the writers, Mu Lan, tells the girls not to forget their parents by presenting them two of her poems that praise mothers.

A writer talks to a girl, who serves sentences in a reformatory in Chongqing in southwestern China, after presenting books with 10 other women writers to this reformatory on Tuesday, August 21, 2007.

A group of girls, who serve sentences in a reformatory in Chongqing in southwestern China, practice dancing on Tuesday, August 21, 2007.

(CRI.cn August 24, 2007)