The 2019 young writers annual awards set for Saturday 10 August at the Craigieburn Salvation Army (75 Interlink Dr) – there is each year a run down on who might get the year’s Basil Sellers Winners.
A series of Panellist groups mark the young writers columns in Christian Today - a project jointly coordinated with Press Service International. Currently - there are 105 young writers.
The program runs smoothly with a wonderful team of ‘behind the scenes’ people who ensure young writers are advised when their article is due along with an editor and a photo selector. These are divided into 8 different groups. It all works to a plan.
The groups marked by Panellists
The different groups of Panellists mark the young writer articles over the first six months of each year. Those marks are then collated by statisticians who at the end of the marking period and sent to Press Service International for appropriate certificates to be produced.
Statisticians
Bill Chilcott - collates the Australians 18-30, and the Internationals 18-30.
John Grocott - collates the Over 31s Australians and the Over 31s NZ and Internationals.
Liz Hay - collates the Kiwi young writers 18-30.
Jeremy Dover - collates the Sport writers.
Who is in the running
The Basil Sellers Awards have been issued since 2013 and each year in this space we highlight the writers.
There are 36 Australians 18-30 in the running for the 2019 Basil Sellers Award but some of these young writers joined the young writers after Cycle 1 and therefore could not possibly gain the points necessary to win this cherished award.
Many are reasonably new young writers and may not have the experience necessary to gain top level points over a six month period with consistency. It’s all a matter of process and knowing what’s happened in previous years.
The Kiwi young writers this year are a different matter, the 18 young writers, many of whom are new in 2019 and I might add, experienced in writing, I suspect there may be many very close end score lines.
The International young writers are again a different kettle of fish (as it were) as they come from as far afield as the USA, China, South Africa, Nigeria, ambique, West Indies and elsewhere. They all write very well, with natural flow and in this camp we have a number of previous winners.
The sport writers – now this is difficult – as every one of them has won the sport writers award previously, named after the late Tony Dunkerley.
The Over 31s have had their own category for only a time and each of the groups – Australian and the New Zealand / Internationals already have previous winners.
Annual Awards 4.00pm
These fabulous annual awards each year are a special time as each young writer receives a certificate for their Best Article - then the various winners are given such as the Chairman’s Award, Theology Award, The Youth Development Award, and the major Awards.
The two morning sessions –
Capt. Peter and Jo Brookshaw - ‘Opening Doors of Opportunity’ - illustrating literary and art evangelism
Second, Mark Rusic a top notch writer on the values of mentoring – ‘Mentoring the Generations’ - Mark is designing his session with two lots of small groups
The afternoon session is as in previous years – Russell Modlin, Rebecca Moore and Sam Gillespie having an around session then dividing into groups coordinated by these three. Russell, Rebecca and Sam plan these annual afternoon sessions with care.
The morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea provided.
At 4.00pm are the annual young writers awards.
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