The Sidney Prize and Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize

The Sidney prize is awarded monthly to an outstanding piece of journalism that fosters social and economic justice. It is named for Sidney Hillman, president of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, who worked tirelessly to promote a more humane world for working people.

Winners receive a cash prize of $5,000 and a certificate designed by New Yorker cartoonist Edward Sorel. Runners-up are each given $2,500. The winners will be announced on the second Wednesday of each month. Nominations are accepted for work that appeared in the previous month. The deadline for nominations is the last day of the month.

From 1596, Sidney has produced writers of all genres, including poets and short storyists, political cartoonists, satirists and novelists, as well as doctors, lawyers, businessmen and academics. It has also spawned film and opera directors, a Nobel Prize-winning economist and a best-selling author.

In addition to its Nobel Prize-winners, Sidney has been home to scholars and students with a range of different interests, from religion to sport, from literature to art. Its alumni have made a huge impact on Britain’s culture, religion and politics, as well as in science, business, education and the arts.

Over the years, its graduates have also shaped popular culture, including television and cinema, as well as producing bestselling authors, sports celebrities and musicians. They have also been soldiers, explorers, artists and even the creator of Sherlock Holmes.

It is a small university that punches far above its weight and has a hugely fascinating and unexpected history. This is the story of a university that has nurtured Nobel Prize-winners, but it is also one of spies, ghosts and murderers, as well as kingmakers, politicians, aristocrats and businessmen.

This year, the Overland Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize received more than 500 entries. The judges, Patrick Lenton, Alice Bishop and Sara Saleh, have chosen a shortlist of eight stories. The winning entry will appear in Overland’s autumn issue, while the runners-up will be published online. To read the shortlist and find out more about the judges, click here. To enter the prize, you must be a current Overland subscriber. New subscribers can get a special rate and be eligible to submit their work for consideration. The full terms and conditions can be found here. To be eligible to enter, your submission must be in English and between 3,000 and 6,000 words long. If your work explores a particular community or experience, we ask that you identify yourself as part of that group. This is not a requirement, but will help our judges when considering your submission. If your work explores a particularly vulnerable or marginalised identity, we ask that you indicate whether you are able to certify that you are able to vouch for the accuracy of your representation. If you are unable to do this, we will be unable to consider your submission.