The last day of 2015 gives rise for the Press Service International young writer program with Christian Today to celebrate three years of the annual Basil Sellers awards.
Although the young writers program was initiated way back in 2008, it has only been the past three years the program has celebrated the Basil Sellers awards which are determined by a set of independent Panellists.
These awards have now gained a life of their own acknowledging young writers in various fields. In 2015 there were 85 young writers from Australia, New Zealand and across the world.
The 18 international young writers in 2015 came from England, Canada, USA, West Indies, Africa, Middle East and Asia.
Australia
2013 Basil Sellers – Alison Barkley
2014 Basil Sellers – Danielle Stott
2015 Basil Sellers – Belinda Croft
New Zealand
2013 Basil Sellers – Daniel Jang
2014 Basil Sellers – Casey Murray
2015 Basil Sellers – Jeremy Suisted and Sophia Sinclair
International
2015 Basil Sellers – Paul Lewis (West Indies), Genevieve Wilson (Canada)
Sport
2013 Basil Sellers – Annemarie de Villiers
2014 Basil Sellers – Wesley Tronson, Brad Mills (NZ), Annemarie de Villiers
2015 Basil Sellers – David Goodwin
Australasian Religious Press Association
2015 Best Article – Casey Murray
The second place awards are the Mark and Delma Tronson Consistency awards.
Australia
2013 Consistency – Laura Veloso
2014 Consistency – Sarah Young
2015 Consistency – Charlotte Goiris, Jeremy Dover, Rebecca Moore
New Zealand
2013 Consistency – Casey Murray and Sophia Sinclair
2014 Consistency – Sophia Sinclair
2015 Consistency – Tim Newman and Brad Mills
International
2015 Outstanding – Charis Jackson USA
The Theological award was struck in 2013 for New Zealand (due to the close results) and extended in 2015 to Australia.
Australia
2015 Theological – Sam Manchester
New Zealand
2013 Theological – Sam Burrows
2014 Theological – Jeremy Suisted
2015 Theological – Andrew Sinclair
There have been a variety of other awards in the past three years acknowledging the young writers -
Australia
2014 Most Improved – Alex Gillespie
2015 Most Improved – Tim Robertson, Christopher Archibald
2015 New young writer most improved – Michael Dahlenburg, Liana Monaghan
2015 IT – Zach Radloff
New Zealand
2014 Most Improved – Matt Browning
2015 Most Improved – Jared Diprose
2015 Editor's Award – Claire Debrois
Well-Being Australia
2015 Editor's Award – Sophia Sinclair
Sophia Sinclair became the young writer program editor in 2015 with much acclaim, moving to Sydney from Christchurch with her husband Andrew and family as he was reading theology at SMBC (Sydney Missionary Bible College).
There remain four sets of independent Panellists –
Australia
New Zealand
International
Sport.
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html