Sydney Prizes are awarded for a wide range of literary works and genres. They may also be given for research in the arts or sciences. Some prizes are named after famous people, while others are dedicated to specific areas of interest. For example, the Sidney Lanier Prize is for writing about the South and honors a 19th-century poet. The National Association of Scholars also awards a Sydney prize each year at its national conference to an individual who has made distinguished contributions in defense of academic freedom.
The Sydney Prize was created by a group of friends to perpetuate the generative influence that Sidney Cox exerted both in and out of his classrooms. To that end, it seeks to reward undergraduate writing that “most nearly meets the high standards of originality and integrity which he himself set both for himself and for his students.” Harry T. Schultz, ’37 is acting as treasurer of the Committee and contributions can be sent to him at 1 Occom Ridge in Hanover.
In addition to the Sydney Prize, there are a number of other literary prizes that are available to writers. The Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize, for example, is awarded to a work of fiction that features a character with a marginalised identity. The winning entry receives a $5,000 prize and is published in Overland magazine, with two runners-up receiving $750 each.
Other writing prizes focus on particular types of writing, such as long-form journalism. The Hillman Prizes, which are named after former Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America president and founder of the Congress of Industrial Organizations, honor journalists who illuminate the critical issues of our time. These issues include the search for a basis for peace, the need for better housing and medical care, the fight for civil liberties and democracy, and the struggle against discrimination of all kinds.
Several other prizes are dedicated to a single topic or area of writing. The AJL Book Prize, for example, is given each year to the author of an outstanding essay-length book in a discipline other than law. The AJL essay-length books are those that best advance the legal scholarship, and judges take into consideration the significance of the contribution to the field, the quality of the writing, the clarity and effectiveness of the argument, and the contribution of the work to its subject.
In addition to the prestigious literary prizes, there are numerous other prizes that are awarded for more scientific and technical work. For instance, there is the Andrew Gemant Prize, which honors efforts to bridge art and physics or connect literary work with science. Lastly, there is the Sidney Hook Award, which recognizes national distinction in undergraduate teaching and leadership in the cause of liberal education. A call for nominations is issued a year and a half in advance of the Society’s Triennial Council meeting, and the nominations are published in the Key Reporter and the general newsletter. Nominations must be submitted in writing and be signed by the nominee.