A sidney prize is an award given to writers who have written about issues that affect the public. Typically, these are essays that have appeared in top-tier national magazines and newspapers. The New York Times columnist David Brooks often bestows these awards. Other prominent awards include the Andrew Gemant Prize, which honors those who connect art, literature and other fields to science.

The Hillman Foundation awards a monetary prize to journalists who pursue investigative reporting and deep storytelling in the public interest. Its board of directors includes left-leaning celebrities such as Danny Glover and union leaders from Workers United and SEIU.

In its annual report, the foundation outlines how it evaluates entries and selects winners. The foundation looks at the strength of arguments, evidence and documentation. It also considers the impact of the work and its potential to influence the public. The Foundation is particularly concerned with the ways that journalism influences political and social debates, especially when examining topics related to democracy, ethics, public morality and human rights.

For example, in his essay “The Twin Insurgency,” Yale professor Nils Gilman uses the idea of a fracturing world to develop a bold theory about everything. He argues that two political forces are squeezing the middle class. On the one hand, there is the global plutocracy, made up of rich elites in tech and finance who are disengaged from their national obligations and common life. On the other, there are deviant entrepreneurs – drug dealers, black-market millionaires – who are exploiting global crises to build their wealth.

While the prize is not meant to be a definitive guide for writers seeking a sidney prize, it provides an overview of the kinds of writing that judges will look for. The foundation says that it will give special attention to pieces that explore the complexity and depth of issues that affect society, and those that use a variety of sources and narrative approaches. It will also give priority to work that explores the way in which a particular field or topic intersect with other disciplines.

The prize also emphasizes works that present a different perspective on familiar subjects, such as gender, race and class. It also gives priority to works that are written in the voice of a marginalised or vulnerable identity. It also rewards those who strive for a rigorous scientific approach in their work, even if they have to overcome serious obstacles to do so.

The Overland Neilma Sydney Short Story Prize is open to all writers, nationally and internationally, regardless of whether they are based in Australia or not. The winner of the competition will receive a first prize of $5000 and publication in Overland. Two runners-up will each receive $750. The winner will be announced in October. More information can be found on the Overland website. The submission deadline is 20 September. Please make sure to read the entry guidelines carefully before submitting your entry.