The Sidney Prize and Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize
The Sidney Prize is named in memory of Professor Sidney Cox, a Dartmouth English teacher and writer. Established by the members of his family, the prize aims to reward outstanding work and promise in the first two years of graduate study. The winner receives $100 and a certificate of recognition. The prize also recognizes those whose contributions in the field of literature have helped to defend academic freedom and the integrity of scholarship.
The Overland Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize is open to all writers who live in Australia or elsewhere. This year’s judges, Patrick Lenton, Alice Bishop and Sara Saleh, reviewed over 500 entries and chose a shortlist of eight pieces. The winning entry, ‘Who Rattles the Night?’ by Claire Aman, will be published in Overland 2024 and the two runners-up will be published online. The judges were particularly impressed by the way in which this piece used language to create an atmosphere of isolation and loneliness, while allowing the reader a glimpse into the lives of its characters.
Since its founding in 1998, the prize has recognised and celebrated Australia’s finest contemporary literary talent. In addition to the cash prize, the winners of the Sidney Prize will each be given the opportunity to take part in an exclusive Overland writing workshop. This will be led by one of the prize’s previous winners, including acclaimed author Ben Okri. In addition, the winners will be offered a discount to next year’s Overland festival.
AJL is proud to judge the Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award, an annual competition for new children’s books with Jewish themes and universal appeal. This competition, named in memory of the renowned author of All-of-a-Kind Family stories, has launched many careers in this important genre. While AJL cannot guarantee publication, the money and nationwide publicity of this contest has proven to be an excellent incentive for writers of all experience levels. Several previously winning manuscripts have been subsequently published, and publishers who acquire these titles are eligible to carry the Sydney Taylor Seal on their covers.
In order to be considered for the prize, entries must be written in English and not have been published previously (including online). Entries should be no more than 3000 words and be themed loosely around the notion of travel. We welcome submissions from writers located both in Australia and abroad, but they must be unpublished and not currently under consideration by other publishers (including Overland). Submissions are free for Overland subscribers; however, we encourage you to consider taking out a subscription, which includes discounted entry and a print copy of each issue plus access to our daily online magazine. Subscribers can enter up to three times per year. For details, see our submission portal. The deadline for entries is 10 October 2022. Those wishing to apply should read the full guidelines here. The prize is administered by Overland and sponsored by the Malcolm Robertson Foundation. The prize will be awarded in February 2024.