The 2016 annual awards conference of the Press Service International young writers includes a pre-conference evening of fellowship with those panellists able to travel to Sydney.
There are four sets of Panellists engaged in the Press Service International young writer program with Christian Today. These people determine the annual Basil Sellers Awards. There are five Cycles (each of 5 weeks) in the young writer program "marking period" - which in total is half the year, January to July.
Initiated in 2009 with five sports writers for daily columns in Christian Today, the young writer program broadened to include Comment writers, along with writers on Life, Society, Music, IT, Entertainment, Theology, Philosophy, and the like.
The $1000 Basil Sellers Young Writer award were initiated in 2013 at the Melbourne conference and repeated in 2014 and 2015 and the 2016 'awards' will be presented in Sydney the next day, Saturday 13 August.
The fellowship evening is on 12 August at the Petersham Bowling Club from 5.00pm which is in close proximity to the conference venue the following day, the Salvation Army's Stanmore House in Stanmore.
Not all panellists are able to drop everything and travel to Sydney for this one 'fellowship' evening and then making themselves available for the day conference.
2016 Panellists
Australia
Gavin Lawrie
retired Barrister, Tweed Heads
John Skinner
retired journalist, Warwick
Deidre Tronson
retired academic, Camden
Aira Chilcott
retired teacher, Canberra
Vicki Nunn
editor of SPAG magazine
Eric Polis
retired missionary, Yowah
New Zealand
Brian Carrell
retired Anglican Bishop, Christchurch
Liz Hay
retired editor, Christchurch
Tash McGill
Corporate, Auckland
Deidre Tronson
retired academic, Camden
Peter Rope
Bookogolist, Auckland
Brent Costley
retired Head of Dept teaching, North Palmerston
International
Nathanael Yates
academic, Perth
Daniel Stott
teacher, Melbourne
Euan McDonald
Minister, Ipswich
Vic Matthews
Theologian, Moruya
Sophia Sinclair
Editor, Christchurch
Deidre Tronson
retired academic, Camden
Sport
Peter Nelson
AIS chaplain, Canberra
Simon Farrer
teacher, Melbourne
Andrew Bennett
teacher, Mole River
David Burr
Barrister, Melbourne
Tim Wilson
Corporate, Canada
This is a first for the Press Service International young writer program, a fellowship evening to meet with Panellists.
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