The Sidney Prize was awarded monthly to an outstanding piece of journalism. Nominations were due on the last day of each month. Winners were announced on the second Wednesday of each month. Winners received a $500 honorarium and a certificate designed by New Yorker cartoonist Edward Sorel. The award was established in 1984 by trustees of the late Sir Sidney Myer Fund and ran until 2023.
The prize honors the work of a journalist who has been committed to pursuing social justice and public policy for the common good. The prize is open to journalists working in traditional or new media. The winner is chosen by a panel of judges.
Each year, a panel of experts selects the top entries for this distinguished award. The winning essay demonstrates both scholarship and compelling writing, and it addresses a significant issue that is of widespread concern in the world today. The essay may be based on scholarly research or personal experience. In addition, the work should be able to inspire others to take action on the issue addressed in the essay.
In addition to the top winner, three other authors receive a citation for their work in this category. The prize was founded in memory of a former student at Syracuse University, who demonstrated enduring loyalty to high ideals. The prize is supported by the Trustees of the Anzac Memorial & Military History Trust.
A shortlist of eight stories was named earlier this month, and Overland would like to congratulate the writers who made it! The winning story, by Annie Zhang, is titled ‘Who Rattles the Night?’, and explores a couple who learn to live with ghosts in their new home. It was a close race and the judges thank all of the entrants for their creativity and commitment to the spirit of the competition. The judges also wish to acknowledge the hard work of the organising committee, which helped ensure the integrity of the blind-judging process.
The 2023 Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize has been awarded to Annie Zhang for her story ‘Who Rattles the Night?’. The judges, Patrick Lenton, Alice Bishop and Sara Saleh, have selected this piece of fiction from over 500 submissions to Overland. The winning story will appear in our autumn issue, while the runners-up will be published online alongside the main prize. The judges and Overland would like to extend our sincere thanks to the Malcolm Robertson Foundation for their support of this prize.
The Sidney E. Mead Prize is awarded to an advanced graduate student or recent PhD for the best unpublished article stemming from dissertation research on the history of Christianity. The prize is named in honour of Professor Sidney E. Mead, who was a devoted scholar of Christian history and editor of many important publications in this field. The prize is offered by the American Historical Association in collaboration with Church History.