The prize was named for 19th-century Georgia poet Sidney Lanier and reflects Middle Georgia’s rich literary heritage and the long tradition of writing about the region. It recognizes the work of contemporary writers whose writing is innovative, powerful and authentic. Winners will be published in Overland and awarded a cash prize of $5000. They will also receive an Overland subscription. Two runner-ups will be awarded $750 each and published in Overland alongside the winner. The prize is open to writers in all stages of their careers. To enter, subscribers can take out a new Overland subscription at the special subscriber rate of $18 for one year (four issues) or pay an entry fee of $20.
The Sidney Hillman Foundation awards monetary prizes in the U.S and Canada to journalism that seeks truth and serves the public interest. The foundation is run by left-of-center labor leaders and carries forward the legacy of union pioneer Sidney Hillman. The Foundation is a sister organization of the SEIU and has strong connections to left-leaning celebrities and artists.
A number of the essays that received a Sidney Prize this year probed the intersection between science and the humanities. For example, two intellectual heavyweights, Leon Wieseltier and Steven Pinker went toe-to-toe in a recent essay in the New Republic over whether or not science, despite its alleged blindness to morality, has a vital role in modern thought. This scholarly debate is the kind of work that could only have been imagined when the prize was established.
This year’s winners also included a story by Michael Lewis in Portfolio, who writes about Meredith Whitney and Steve Eisman, financial analysts who understood that the U.S. banking system was rapidly becoming a doomsday machine. The stories, based on interviews with these two men, are examples of the kind of work that the prize seeks to honor.
In a different genre, Debbie Lee won the 2024 Sydney Prize for her film work “Sydney.” The award recognises a trailblazing NSW-based practitioner with a short film credit, in collaboration with Screen NSW. The prize is supported by Event Cinemas and has a total value of $7,000. For more information about the prize, see the Event Cinemas Rising Talent Award page.
