Largs Academy were delighted to announce this week that Gracie McGill is the school’s first ever Pushkin Prizewinner.

The second year pupil at Largs Academy has been selected for this year’s Pushkin Prizewinners’ Week 2015.

Gracie is a very talented writer and an original member of the Creative Writing Club in Largs Academy.

She has demonstrated her talents many times, having been published on a variety of occasions since joining the school.

Gracie competed in this prestigious Pushkin Prize International Writing Competition against S1 and S2 pupils from across Scotland and Russia. All entrants had to submit a folio of three creative pieces to a panel of well-respected writers, Keith Gray and Joan Lennon.

The judges had a very difficult job in making their decision, as the standard of writing was very high, and there were a record number of entries this year. However, Gracie’s writing was unique, lively and showcased beautifully her talent. So much so, she is now Largs Academy’s first ever winner!

Gracie will attend a prizegiving in Edinburgh on the morning of Monday 27 April, after which all 12 winners, including two from St Petersburg, will travel to the Moniack Mhor Writers’ Centre near Beauly in Inverness-shire, returning on Friday 1 May in the early evening. The winners will spend the week there being tutored by the poet and naturalist Gerry Cambridge, and the writer and poet Diana Hendry. It is every young writers dream! Furthermore, Gracie’s pieces will now be published on the Pushkin Prize website.

Largs Academy is very proud Gracie’s success and we will enjoy watching her talent continue to grow.