Sophia Sinclair Press Service International's chief editor provided an encouraging comment as each young writer was awarded the 2016 major awards. Sophia read the title followed by her comment.
The New Zealand and Australian Theological prizes are given to writers who demonstrate a robust understanding of theology and who have expertly used the PSI platform to communicate their ideas.
New Zealand Theological Award 2016: Tim Shallard
Tim has a unique gift for combining the creative with the theological. His theological training has provided him with the skill and depth to explore complex ideas, but he manages to do so without overwhelming the reader with academic jargon.
Australian Theological Award 2016: Thomas Devenish
Thomas demonstrates great skill in using metaphor and narrative to clearly illustrate complex theological truths. He is one of our most consistent and faithful writers, never failing to explain or reveal something profound about the relationship between faith and life.
The New Zealand and Australian M & D Tronson Consistency Awards recognise the consistent diligence and excellence of the recipients.
New Zealand M & D Tronson Consistency Award 2016: Tim Newman
Tim's pieces are always consistently thoughtful and clearly written. Tim has an MA in History focusing on attitudes towards warfare in Islam and Christianity—and he is able to use his training to reflect deeply and knowledgably on current international issues, including the migrant crisis and the on-going threat of terrorism.
Australian M & D Tronson Consistency Award 2016: Talisa Parris
Talisa's boldness, creativity and passion for people are consistent hallmarks of her writing. Talisa has a wonderful gift of being able to write about life and truth, with honesty and vulnerability.
Major Awards
These final awards recognise the top writers in each of the PSI young writers categories: Sport, International, New Zealand and Australia.
Sport: Named after the late PSI supporter Tony Dunkerley, the sport award recognises excellence in sports writing.
The Tony Dunkerley Sport Award 2016: Tim Newman
There are only a few writers who are willing to commit to both sports and comment writing, let alone those who can do it well! Tim's love of rugby union makes it a constant theme in his sports writing. We appreciate and value Tim's faithfulness to submit well-written articles in a number of categories each month. The Basil Sellers International Award recognises excellence in the international category.
Basil Sellers International Award 2016: Andrew Sinclair
Our international writers are people who either live outside of New Zealand or Australia, or who are residing in a country that is not their home country. Andrew's writing often explores the foundations of the Christian faith by reflecting on current events or his own life experiences.
The Basil Sellers New Zealand Award recognises excellence in the New Zealand category.
Basil Sellers New Zealand Award 2016: Matt Browning - joint recipients
Matt Browning loves to challenge his readers to consider the intersection of faith, life and culture. I love the way Matt is constantly exploring new ideas in his work, and testing what his audience responds well to. Matt's writing is always thoughtful and has a refreshingly honest point of view.
Basil Sellers New Zealand Award 2016: Kara Greening - joint recipients
Kara has been writing her own blog for a number of years and began writing for PSI in 2015. Her persistence, creativity and openness to critique have resulted in some excellent articles. I love the way Kara clearly works through her ideas, carefully arguing her point and taking the reader on a journey.
The Basil Sellers Australian Award recognises excellence in the Australian category.
Basil Sellers Australian Award 2016: Tim Everton
Tim is a writer who leaves it all on the page and uses vulnerability and personal story to illustrate God's power and work in his life. I love the diversity of Tim's articles, and his willingness to explore tricky or controversial topics with his readers.
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