A MAGAZINE writer who grew up in York has won a prestigious award for young women journalists.

Alice Wignall, aged 23, who now lives in London, was given the Sunday Telegraph Catherine Pakenham Award 2001 at a ceremony in the capital after she wrote an observational piece about her grandmother's funeral.

Alice, a former pupil at Millthorpe School in Nunthorpe Avenue, York, got her first taste of journalism while on work experience at the Evening Press. She is now a beauty writer at Celebrity Looks Magazine, based in Covent Garden.

Alice was presented with the award by Private Eye editor Ian Hislop - along with the opportunity to write in his stead in the First Person column in The Sunday Telegraph and a cheque for £1,000.

Alice said that the award ceremony was great fun, particularly as she did not expect to beat the other three finalists.

She said: "I was really surprised but very pleased to get the award.

"I had totally convinced myself that I hadn't won, but they said that the first runner-up was this girl, and the second runner-up was this girl, and then they got to the third runner-up and it wasn't me.

"I wrote about my grandmother's funeral. She died on Christmas Day, which we thought was typical of her.

"The piece is about what it was like - it's not funny, but it's not a tragedy either."

The Catherine Pakenham Award was set up in 1970 and is designed to encourage young women journalists aged between 18 and 25 as they begin their careers.

It is awarded in memory of Catherine Pakenham, daughter of the late Lord Longford, who was a journalist on the Telegraph Magazine in 1969 when she died in a car crash, aged 23.

Updated: 11:38 Thursday, August 09, 2001