Winning story

A speaker at last year’s Wells Festival of Literature has been awarded this year’s Women’s prize for nonfiction for her moving book The Story of a Heart.

Dr Rachel Clarke, a specialist in end-of-life care, appeared at the Festival in 2024 where she gave a heartwarming account of two nine-year-old children and the lifesaving journey of one heart.

Keira suffered catastrophic injuries in a car accident, but while her brain and body began to shut down her heart continued to beat. Max meanwhile had a virus that was causing his heart to fail.

The book is the story of how one family’s grief transformed into a lifesaving gift for another. She describes the urgent journey of Keira’s heart and explores the medical innovations that made it possible.

Journalist Kavita Puri, Chair of judges for the nonfiction prize, said: “This is a book where humanity shines through on every page, from the selfless act of the parents who gift their daughter’s heart in the depths of despair, to the dedication of the NHS workers.”

Rachel Clarke is a writer and physician specialising in end-of-life care.