By Ena Saracevic

Copyright scotsman

An Edinburgh secondary school student is the only Scottish student who has been shortlisted for a national writing competition. Anna Tuchinda, 17, is an international student from Thailand currently studying at Fettes College in Edinburgh. The BBC Young Writers’ Award attracts thousands of entries from across the UK but Anna is one of just five young writers that have been shortlisted. Anna’s story, The Omen, attracted the judges’ attention for its originality, gothic overtones and inventive use of a feline narrative perspective. The judges said: “This ‘beautifully subversive’ and ‘unique’ horror story told from the point of view of a black cat was praised by the judges for its strong voice and impactful ending. “The story explores superstition, scapegoating and a lack of sentimentality towards death, as a stray cat is blamed when, one after the other, the two people who care for it die. “A cat lover, Anna wanted to explore writing from the perspective of a scapegoat, choosing a black cat, often seen as an omen of bad luck. Her writing is inspired by Stephen King, Haruki Murakami and Han Kang.” Ms Tuchinda said: “Being shortlisted for the BBC Young Writers’ Award feels surreal. “English is one of my favourite subjects and I’ve loved writing since I was little, so to share my work on such a big stage is a dream come true. I’m so excited to have my story recognised in this way. “The story is written through an unconventional voice to evoke empathy and create awareness about ways that stray animals are treated. I feel that stray animals are often overlooked or even abused by people because they are deemed as dirty or rabid. “I love incorporating political, social and historical ideas in my writing and I feel that the story reflects some the prejudices and alienation of people in society. “The sense of loneliness that can be felt through the cat’s narrative is my message that sometimes we just need to be a little nicer to each other and the animals we share the world with.” Make sure you keep up to date with news from across Scotland by signing up to our free newsletter here. Launched in 2015, the BBC Young Writers’ Award is a national competition for young writers aged 14 to 18 designed to spotlight new voices and nurture emerging literary talent. Past winners and shortlisted writers have gone on to secure publishing deals and win further national recognition. As one of the shortlisted writers, Anna has been invited to take part in a creative writing workshop at Cambridge University at the end of September. She will also attend the award ceremony on September 30 in London, which will be broadcast live on Radio 4’s flagship arts programme Front Row. In a statement from the school, they said: “The Fettes English department is certainly very proud of Anna’s achievements and delighted to see her success on a national stage. “She is a very talented upper sixth form student and has had the opportunity to study a wide range of texts (in English and in translation) while studying the International Baccalaureate at Fettes.”