The Sidney Prize is an annual literary award for a short work of fiction. It was established in 1854 by a bequest from W C Wentworth and is awarded to a writer of distinguished merit. Winners receive a cash prize and a medal. The prize is open to writers of any nationality. The winner is chosen by a committee appointed by the University of Sydney. Entrants are required to submit an essay on a nominated topic. They must also provide a copy of the original work (poem, play or essay) and must sign a declaration that their entry is their own work.
The 2023 Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize has been won by Annie Zhang for her story ‘Who Rattles the Night?’. Zhang is a writer and editor who lives on unceded Wangal land in Sydney, and was a WestWords Western Sydney Emerging Writer Fellow in 2019. She has published stories in Overland, Island, and Kill Your Darlings, and is working on a novel. In her winning story, a couple learns to live with ghosts in their new home.
Previously known as the Dexter Prize, this prize is given in odd-numbered years by Mercer University’s John Parris Distinguished Professor of Appalachian Cultural Studies in the Department of English to an outstanding book by a contemporary American author that addresses any aspect of Southern Literature. The publisher of the book is also awarded a $1,000 scholarship.
In partnership with the Project on Law and Society in the Muslim World, Harvard Law School offers this annual prize to the student writing the best paper during the academic year on a topic related to law and social change in a Muslim majority or minority context. Papers written for a course or seminar are eligible as well as those submitted for independent study.
Winners are selected from a shortlist of eight finalists, which were announced earlier this month. Runners-up are Madeleine Rebbechi for her story ‘A Map of Underneath’ and Sheila Ngoc Pham for her story ‘Whack-a-Mole’. The winners will be presented with their awards at a ceremony on May 9.
Each year the Event Cinemas Rising Talent Award recognises an emerging NSW-based film creative with a cash prize of $7,000. The prize honours a trailblazing short film practitioner whose work stands for innovation, imagination and high impact, and who has a career that includes no more than five film credits.
The monthly Sidney Hillman Prize honors investigative journalism that exposes injustice and promotes societal change. Recipients exemplify reportorial excellence, deep storytelling and a commitment to social justice. The contest is open to journalists worldwide, although submissions must be intended for and accessible to a US audience.
The Sidney Hillman Prize for Ethics in Journalism is a monthly honorarium for an exceptional piece of investigative reporting that promotes social and economic justice. All Hillman Prize entries are considered for this annual award, which is funded by a grant from The Sidney Hillman Foundation.