A pupil from Cullen Primary School has seen her artwork printed on special National Book Tokens after winning a UK wide competition linked to World Book Day.
Esmé Robertson, a Primary 7 pupil from Cullen, was named the overall winner of the Design a National Book Token Competition, earning national recognition for her creative design.
The competition challenged children to create artwork inspired by the theme “Go All In”.
Esmé’s winning design featured a person diving into a book, inspired by her love of swimming and reading.
As the overall winner, the 11 year old received a £100 National Book Token while Cullen Primary School was awarded £350 in National Book Tokens.
Every pupil in Esmé’s class also received a £10 National Book Token featuring her winning artwork.
Esmé said:
“I feel very happy to have won.
“It’s nice to be able to give back to Cullen Primary School because I am about to go to high school.
“The theme of the competition was ‘Go All In’, and that made me think about diving and swimming, which is why my design is someone literally diving into a book.
“I think my classmates are quite happy with the prize!
“I do enjoy reading and I really like books by Jacqueline Wilson, as well as the Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery.”
The success has been warmly celebrated by staff and pupils at Cullen Primary School, where Esmé’s achievement has become a source of pride for the whole school community.
Head Teacher Carene Hay praised the young artist for the creativity and imagination that helped her stand out from entries submitted from across the UK.
Carene Hay, Head Teacher of Cullen Primary School and Portgordon Primary School, said:
“We are incredibly proud of Esmé and this fantastic achievement.
“Her creativity and imagination really shone through in her design, and it’s wonderful to see her talent recognised on a national stage.
“The whole school is excited to celebrate her success.”
Winning a national competition is a remarkable achievement for any young person, but it is particularly significant given the scale of the challenge and the number of entries received from schools across the country.
Moray Council has also congratulated Esmé on her success and the positive recognition it brings to both her school and the wider area.
Chair of Moray Council’s Education, Children’s and Leisure Services Committee, Cllr Kathleen Robertson, said:
“This is an outstanding achievement for Esmé.
“This was a UK-wide competition, so to come out as overall winner was no mean feat.
“I hope she and her classmates have a great time choosing plenty of new books with their tokens.”
For Esmé, the prize offers the chance to expand her own collection of favourite books while leaving a lasting legacy at Cullen Primary School through a design that will now be seen by book lovers across the country.
