Sydney Prize is awarded annually to Harvard Law students writing the best papers in a particular field. In the past, this has included papers on animal law and policy, environmental law, food laws, and international law. Papers eligible for consideration will have been written in conjunction with a course, seminar, clinic, or graduate degree program at the Law School, and will address a subject that directly relates to the field of study.
The prize is named for the late Professor Sidney Thomas, a pioneer in the study of art history at Mercer. Originally trained as a Shakespeare scholar, he devoted himself to teaching and research in art history and later edited two landmark works on the subject. His scholarship is characterized by rigorous scholarship and deep humanistic commitments.
Established in 2024, the prize is open to all undergraduates classified as Junior. It is designed to recognize that piece of undergraduate writing which most closely meets the high standards of integrity and originality set by Sydney Cox in his essay, Indirections for those who want to Write. Writing in any form of prose or verse may be submitted, but only one submission will be considered for each author.
Winners of the Sydney Taylor Book Award receive gold or silver seals to place on their copies of the book. In addition, winning books are published in a limited edition with an introduction and notes by the Committee on Selection. These books are available for purchase at the Macon Public Library, and can also be ordered through the Macon Public Libraries website.
The Sydney Taylor Prize is administered by the Hillman Foundation, an organization that awards monetary prizes for journalism and public service. The foundation was founded in 1946 and is currently run by former Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America union president and left-leaning activist Bruce Raynor.
In addition to the main prize of $3,000, the Overland Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize offers a number of rating prizes for players who finish in the top six in each division. Prizes not redeemed within three months will be forfeited and reinvested in promoting chess in Sydney.
The judges, Patrick Lenton and Alice Bishop, have selected a shortlist of eight entries for the Overland Neilma Sidney Prize, all of which were inspired by travel in some way. They have now chosen a winner and two runners-up. The judges wish to thank the authors of all of the entries for their hard work and commitment to the blind-judging process. The full list of shortlisted entries can be found on the Overland Neilma website. All winners will be contacted shortly regarding their prize money. Prizes will be awarded by electronic bank transfer to the winner’s registered email address. In the event of a tie, the prize will be split equally between the winners. This year the competition received over 500 entries.