Photo - Cheryl McGrath receives the 2018 Basil Sellers Award from Well-Being Australia’s Russell Modlin.
Melbourne’s Cheryl McGrath has won her 2nd Basil Sellers Young Writer Award at the glittering Awards on Saturday 1 September held at the Christchurch Salvation Army Centre at the annual young writers conference.
Young writers came from Australia, New Zealand, and around the world for the annual awards conference.
Press Service International in conjunction with Christian Today established the young writer ministry in 2009 whereby each young writer is published in their own column 10 times a year, once every 5 weeks.
Mr Basil Sellers AM has provided the award funding along with a substantial sum each year for air-fare scholarships to aid their expenses travelling to the annual conferences.
This year the awards have followed the 2017 Awards Commission which divided the awards for 18-30 years of age, and then over 31’s. Cheryl McGrath’s 2018 Basil Sellers Award is the 18-30 age group, an award Cheryl had won last year when held on the Sunshine Coast.
Five panellists marked all the Australian young writers in the 18-30 years age group from January to July – their marks were then collated by statistician Bill Chilcott.
Photo - 2018 young writers’ conference in Christchurch
Australian panellists
Aira Chiclott - Canberra
Gavin Lawrie - Tweed Heads
Laura Veloso - Sunshine Coast
Vicki Nunn - Rockhampton
Kandima Awendila - Gold Coast
Aira Chiclott is a retired secondary teacher, Gavin Lawrie a retired Barrister, Laura Veloso a former missionary, teacher and mum of three. Vicki Nunn is editor of SPAG magazine and Kandima Awendila is an IT desk engineer.
Cheryl McGrath
Cheryl McGrath is a writer, editor, list-maker and blogger. Cheryl works as a copywriter and has a background in editing and publishing. You can read more of her writing at TwentySixLetters.org.
Cheryl McGrath's Christian Today’s previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/cheryl-mcgrath.html.
Photo - New Zealand welcome – The Haka – Eion McPherson, Tim Newman, Richard Kwon
Basil Sellers Awards - Australia
2013 - Alison Barkley
2015 - Belinda Croft
2016 - Tim Everton
2017 - Cheryl McGrath
2018 - Cheryl McGrath
Young people 18-30 years interested in writing for Christian Today with your own international column please connect with Dr Mark Tronson timeout@bushorchestra.com 0419 917 713
Photo - NZ Panellist for the Kiwi Young Writers Bishop Brian Carrell and plenary speaker Tim Newman
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. Dr Tronson writes a daily article for Christian Today Australia (since 2008) and in November 2016 established Christian Today New Zealand.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html