Yasmin OβMahoney, a talented Year 10 pupil from Lewes Old Grammar School (LOGS), has won theΒ George Orwell Literary PrizeΒ for her passionate account about modern day life as a British Muslim.
She was awarded the national Prize for her essay βDifferent?β on Tuesday at Pembroke College, Oxford after competing against 178 writers aged 13-18.
The final round of the Prize was judged by award-winning writer, journalist and Orwell Fellow Nicci Gerrard, while George Orwellβs son, Richard Blair, presented Yasmin with her award on the day.
βDifferent?β was written in response to the competitionβs brief, which asked entrants to write about the theme of βidentityβ.
The essay chronicles the fifteen-year-oldβs experience growing up in a multicultural family, and includes a vivid depiction of a family dinner where the physical differences between her Irish father and Pakistani mother are thrown into relief.
The winning entry also records how the Lewes student came to terms with her Asian appearance while living in a predominantly white area, and discusses the misrepresentation of Muslims in the media by contrasting stereotypes of Islam that she encounters in her daily life with first-hand memories of her grandparents.
Kieran OβMahoney, Yasminβs father, said: βWe are so proud of Yasmin. Sheβs an avid reader β she has wall-to-wall shelves full of everything fromΒ Harry PotterΒ to Shakespeare β and sheβs always writing, so having heard about the competition from her Uncle, she was very keen to enter the Prize. She wrote from the heart, and I think her passion for the subject is what makes the composition so powerful and beautiful. She has never been afraid to speak her mind and we learn from her on a daily basisβ.
Yasmin said: βI was up against some really tough competition so it was a great surprise to win. Hearing an Oxford graduate read the last three paragraphs of my essay was an unforgettable experience, and I was honoured when a Muslim family came up to me afterwards and said how deeply theyβd been touched. I feel even more motivated to keep writing!β
Robert Blewitt, Headteacher of LOGS, said: βYasminβs success serves as inspiration for other pupils and her writing offers a valuable insight into the diversity of culture in modern Britain. Her style is mature way beyond her years and we have high hopes for her future career.β
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