The Sidney Prize for Undergraduate FictionThe Sidney Prize for Undergraduate Fiction
The sidney prize is an annual literary prize awarded to an undergraduate student in memory of the late Sidney Cox, professor of English at Dartmouth. The prize aims to perpetuate in some small way the generative influence which Cox exercised upon hundreds of students both inside and outside his classes by awarding that piece of undergraduate writing which most nearly meets those high standards of originality and integrity which he established for himself and his students.
The first place winner will receive $5000 in prize money and the two runners up will each receive $750. The winning story will be published in Overland’s autumn 2024 edition and the runners-up stories will be posted online. Eligibility: Students enrolled at the University of Sydney (including postgraduates and PhD candidates) are eligible to submit entries. Writers must self-enrol on Canvas and submit their essay via the submission system, using a pen name. Submissions are screened by TurnItIn for academic integrity.
We’re looking for a short story that reflects on the nature of the human condition and explores a social, cultural or environmental issue. Among other things, we want to see stories that tackle themes such as inequality, climate change, immigration, the refugee crisis, and the role of religion in society. We also welcome works that challenge dominant narratives or push the boundaries of fiction and storytelling.
Please note: If your entry takes up the voice or experience of a particular marginalised or vulnerable identity, we ask that you identify yourself as that identity when making your submission. This is not a requirement but it helps us to ensure that we are representing the voices of all those who need to be heard.
Ron Rash, a 19th-century Appalachian writer and the John Parris Distinguished Professor of Southern Literature at Western Carolina University, has won the 2020 sidney prize for his novel Goatsong. The prize, sponsored by Mercer University’s Spencer B. King Center for Southern Studies, honors the work of writers who engage and extend the tradition of Southern literature.
The sidney prize is one of several prestigious awards sponsored by the Hillman Foundation, which was founded in 1946 in memory of Sidney Hillman, president of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America labor union, a predecessor union of Unite Here and Workers United, SEIU. The foundation’s board of directors includes left-leaning celebrities such as Danny Glover and Bruce Raynor, president emeritus of Workers United.
The Hillman Foundation also sponsors the monthly sidney prize for investigative journalism that exposes social and economic injustice. In 2025 the foundation will also administer the SEIU award for reporting on racial and economic justice, and all U.S Hillman Prize submissions will automatically be considered for this prize as well. For more information, visit the Hillman Foundation website.