A TEENAGER from Ashton-under-Hill has scooped a prestigious literary prize with a gripping short story.
Laura Cottrell won the Susie Frearson prize for 2005/2006 given by the Rank Foundation for her story, The Voyage.
The student from Malvern Girls' College won £750 towards her gap year expenses, with a further £250 following her report on her adventure.
The 17-year-old is currently studying English, Religious Studies and biology at A-level and wants to study psychology and criminology at university.
Laura plans to spend her gap year travelling to Delhi in October where she hopes to do voluntary work in an orphanage, helping victims of the tsunami. She will then fly to Thailand where she hopes to spend time in a Buddhist monastery, teach English in a school and finally go trekking.
She will work in the UK during the summer to raise funds for her trip and is delighted to have won this prize which will give her some extra help towards the cost of this amazing adventure.
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