The sidney prize was a left-of-center foundation that awarded monetary prizes to journalists and public figures who pursue social justice and public policy for the common good. It is named after Sidney Hollander, a Baltimore businessman and philanthropist who donated his time, money and resources to help secure equal rights for African Americans. It was one of the first foundations to award a prize for long-form journalism. Later, photojournalism and opinion and analysis were added to the prize categories.
The 2023 Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize has been awarded to Annie Zhang for her story ‘Who Rattles the Night?’. The story is about a couple who move to their new home and learn that they are sharing it with ghosts. The winner receives $5000 and their story will be published in Overland magazine, while two runners-up receive $750 each. The judging panel included Patrick Lenton, Alice Bishop and Sara Saleh. The contest is open to Australian and international writers. The submission fee is $12 for subscribers and $20 for non-subscribers. Subscribers get discounted entry and access to Overland’s daily online magazine and invitations to subscriber events, opportunities and giveaways.
HLS Student Writing Prizes
The Project on Law and Society in the Muslim World at Harvard Law School awards an annual Sidney Taylor Scholarship in Law to a Harvard law student for the best paper on the topic of “law and society or law and change in a Muslim majority or minority context.” The scholarship is made possible by a grant from Roberts & Holland LLP.
Ron Rash, who teaches at Western Carolina University’s John Parris Distinguished Professorship of Appalachian Cultural Studies, has won another sidney prize. The 2020 winner of the Mercer University Sidney Lanier Prize for Southern Literature is the author of six novels, four collections of poems and several short stories. He is also a two-time winner of the O. Henry Award for short stories.
He joins a roster of winners that includes Hilton Als writing for The New York Times and Ed Yong writing for The Atlantic. The list of past winners includes Pulitzer Prize-winning authors and some of the most well-known names in American literature.
Founded in 1946, the Hillman Prize seeks to illuminate the great issues of our day — from the search for a basis for lasting peace, to the fight for decent housing and health care and job security for all, to the battle against discrimination based on race or nationality or religion. The Foundation’s founder, Sidney Hollander, was a major supporter of the Civil Rights Movement and was a leader in the struggle to obtain equal rights for African Americans.
The Foundation has awarded more than 150 prizes in the areas of journalism and public service, including the Hillman Prize. The prize was established in honor of the memory of Dr Sidney Louis Wagman ’51, who demonstrated loyalty to high ideals throughout his life. The prize is a tribute to his family and the community of alumni who shared his vision of a world of greater peace, understanding, tolerance and opportunity for all.