Primary Treasure authors make short list for the World Guild 2003 Canadian Writing awards

Nampa, Idaho (June 2, 2003) - Primary Treasure and Our Little Friend editor Aileen Andres Sox, reports that two Primary Treasure authors were nominated for The Word Guild 2003 Canadian Writing Awards. Sox states, “Primary Treasure has two stories listed. Violet Nesdoly is nominated in the category for her story ‘Find These Bugs Almost Anywhere,’ about ants. Nesdoly has a winsome way of explaining nature and science to primary-aged children. Pacific Press has published six of her stories in all.” Also nominated was Carol MacKay.

Camrose, Alberta reporter, Brett Browne states, “Author Carol MacKay finds herself among some noteworthy company on The Word Guild short list of finalists for the best works published in 2003 by writers who are Christian.

Among those also short-listed are well-known Canadians such as Preston Manning, John Stackhouse, and Margaret Visser. MacKay is nominated in the Children and Young Adults (article or short short) category for a short story “The Runaway Thank-you” which was published in Primary Treasure magazine in October of last year.

MacKay says the story is about an eight-year-old girl who gets carried away in a campaign of thank-yous after receiving a positive response from a thank-you card sent to her grandmother.

“She receives a thank-you card in return and likes the card so much that she sends another thank-you card and it goes on and on. It’s just a fun story,” explains MacKay, who is more well-known for her poetry, which has been published in various magazines and anthologies.

MacKay says she was very pleased with how the story turned out and decided to submit it when the Word Guild sent out a call for award nominations

“Something like this is always a surprise, but I think the real neat thing is having it published in the first place – this is just a really nice surprise,” says MacKay.

The Camrose author says “The Runaway Thank You” was the second short story that she has had published in Primary Treasure. She has a third coming out in August.

MacKay also continues to write poetry as well as book reviews from publications such as Quill and Quire, School Library Journal, and Alberta Views magazine. She also received word recently that she has been selected as a judge for the Toronto Star poetry contact in the children’s category.

The Word Guild award winners will be announced on June 13 at the “Expressing the Invisible” God Uses Ink Christian Writers’ Conference in Guelph, Ontario.

The Word Guild is an association of Canadian writers and editors who are Christian, established in December of 2001. More than 200 professional and associate members joined in its first year of operation.”