The Sydney prize is awarded to a work of journalism that illuminates the great issues of our time. It was first awarded in 1950 and has since become one of the nation’s most respected literary prizes. The foundation has honored contributors to the daily press, periodical and labor presses, as well as writers, broadcasters and authors.
The foundation has also honored work in the fields of photojournalism, the web, and opinion and analysis. The foundation’s goal is to support a free and responsible press that investigates and reports on major national and international affairs, such as the search for a basis of peace, the need for better housing, medical care, and employment security for all people, the promotion of civil liberties and democracy, and the battle against discrimination based on race, nationality or religion.
AJL offers the chance to win a sidney prize in many different ways, including by reading and nominating titles for the annual Sydney Taylor Book Award (for elementary and middle school readers), writing reviews for our online review service, and purchasing books through our AJL shops page. AJL also hosts a mock awards blog, The Sydney Taylor Shmooze, where you can hear a podcast interview with the committee chair and read reviews of winning titles.
The Sidney Prize is named after Sir Sidney Cox, professor of English at the University of Sydney. The prize is offered to undergraduate students who meet the high standards he set for his teaching methods and in his book Indirections for Those Who Would Write.
It is intended to encourage undergraduate writing that reflects originality and integrity. The prize is open to students from all universities in Australia and overseas, whether they are majoring or not in English. In addition to the Sydney Prize, AJL also gives several other academic writing prizes.
Overland has announced the winner of its 2023 Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize: Annie Zhang, whose story ‘Who Rattles the Night?’ follows a couple as they settle into their new home. The judges, Laura Elvery and Paige Clark, selected the winning piece from a long list of eight entries. The judges were impressed by the way in which the story was able to convey a sense of place and the difficulty that inevitably arises when people live with ghosts. The prize is supported by the Malcolm Robertson Foundation. Interested writers can find more information here; Overland subscribers get a discounted rate and are eligible to compete as potential prize winners. The competition closes on 31 May. A full list of shortlisted stories is available here. AJL is grateful to all of the writers who entered this year’s prize.