The Sidney Prizes and Neilma Neilma Neilma Short Story Competition

The Sidney prize is awarded each month by the Hillman Foundation to “journalists, writers and public figures who pursue social justice and public policy for the common good.” The award honors the legacy of Sidney Hillman, president of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America (ACWA), a precursor to Unite Here and Workers United, SEIU.

The first winner of the 2024 Sidney prize is journalist Maya Srikrishnan, whose report on the American states’ refusal to make their tax data available to low-income taxpayers set off a national debate and forced many to rethink their taxes. Her reporting drew praise from readers and media outlets alike.

Another of this year’s winners is New York Times columnist Hilton Als, whose essay “The Bigotry of Small Towns” explores how small-town racial prejudice still exists and has a profound impact on the country. It’s an excellent example of the kind of long-form essay the Sidney prize is meant to honor.

George Packer’s profile of Angela Merkel, Germany’s leader, in The New Yorker is a worthy runner-up. It is an example of the kind of profile that often gets overlooked by journalism prize committees, but which is essential to understanding our times. It’s a portrait of a leader who isn’t the romantic visionary, but a practical plodder.

This year’s winner of the Sydney peace prize is the Black Lives Matter movement, which was founded in the US by Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi after the 2013 acquittal of George Zimmerman in the killing of black teenager Trayvon Martin. The prize is a recognition of the group’s role in building a powerful movement for racial equality and reigniting the global conversation around state violence and racism.

Overland’s Neilma Sidney short story competition, supported by the Malcolm Robertson Foundation, drew hundreds of entries this year. Our judges, Patrick Lenton and Alice Bishop, selected a shortlist of eight pieces that will be published this autumn. Our winner and two runners-up will receive $5000 in prize money, and their work will appear in Overland. The submission process is open to anyone, though we ask that you sign our code of ethics and promise not to reveal your identity to our judges unless you agree to do so after they consider your piece. For more details, see our submission guidelines here. The deadline for entries is 31 July. The winning short story will be announced at Overland’s autumn 2024 issue launch event. Subscribe to Overland for a year at a discounted rate and you’ll also get a free entry into the competition. If you’re not already a subscriber, find out how to sign up here. Alternatively, enter your short story here. Good luck!