Sidney Prize Winners and Runners-UpSidney Prize Winners and Runners-Up
In his Sidney Prize essay, Michael Lewis writes about people who see reality clearly while the rest of us are lost in a fog of delusion. He cites Meredith Whitney and Steve Eisman, who understood that the financial system was turning into a doomsday machine before most of us did. He also praises journalists who spotted early on that the housing bubble was about to burst.
The Sidney Prize, founded in honor of the late Australian philanthropist Sir Sidney Myer, rewards achievements in dance, drama, opera and music. The competition is run by the Sydney Myer Foundation, which was established in 1984. The foundation also awards a series of scholarships to help young Australians study overseas.
Founded in the memory of Professor of English at Dartmouth from 1927 to 1952, the Sidney Cox Prize is awarded to an undergraduate writing piece by a student. The prize is worth $100. It is open to all students and is given annually. The winner is published in the Dartmouth Review.
The New York Times columnist David Brooks selects the year’s best long-form essays in a series called “The Sidney Awards.” This year, his choices include Hilton Als writing for The New Yorker and Ed Yong writing for The Atlantic. He also includes Peter Wood’s May 4, 2015 Weekly Standard cover story on the long-term harms of hook-up culture.
In 2022, Mercer University named Ron Rash the winner of its first Sidney Lanier Prize for Southern Literature. The prize is designed to celebrate the work of writers who engage with and extend the tradition of writing about the American South.
As part of the prize, the university will award a $1,000 scholarship to a graduating senior in recognition of their outstanding achievement in Southern Studies. The university will also present the winning writer with a gold-plated book plate that is designed by noted artist Edward Sorel.
In addition to the top three winners, the judges of the 2024 Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize (sponsored by Overland) have selected eight pieces for a shortlist of runners-up, and will publish all eight entries in Overland this autumn. The judges and the Malcolm Robertson Foundation would like to thank everyone who submitted work for consideration. If your entry takes up the voice or experience of a marginalised or vulnerable identity, please let us know in order to consider this when judging your submission. You can do this by indicating in your submission form, but note that this is not required. Subscribers to Overland are eligible to enter the prize at a special rate. You can find out more here. The deadline for submissions is 30 September. The winners will be announced in November. See you there!