This prize aims to illuminate some of the great issues we are currently grappling with – such as finding a foundation for lasting peace or providing better housing, medical care and employment security for all people; championing civil liberties and democracy while fighting discrimination on basis of race, nationality or religion – by honoring nonfiction works with national significance in these fields.
Established to honor Sidney Cox, an esteemed professor who passed away at Dartmouth College in 1952, this prize first appeared in 1964. It recognizes students who demonstrate exceptional proficiency and creativity when writing an essay; such an essay must demonstrate original thought as well as demonstrate clear grasp of subject matter.
Michael Lewis describes in his essay, “The End,” a few individuals who can see reality clearly while others are lost in delusion. These individuals include Meredith Whitney, who saw that Citigroup was in deep financial distress; and Steve Eisman, a bond trader who left an important meeting when told by a CEO of a mortgage company that default rates would skyrocket – these men, and others like them are known as Sidney Winners.
Each year, the American Journal of Law awards numerous prizes to writers and books that shed light on important contemporary topics in society. Alongside the Sydney Taylor Book Award, other prizes awarded by AJL include Leonardo da Vinci Medal, Melvin Kranzberg Dissertation Fellowship, and Joan Cahn Memorial Lectureship – for more details please refer to AJL prize page.
Richard Ho and Lynn Scurfield’s Two New Years; Mari Lowe’s Dubious Pranks of Shaindy Goodman; and Elana K Arnold’s The Blood Years are this year’s recipients of the Sydney Taylor Book Award. Click on any image for a complete listing of winning and nominated titles including reviews; The Sydney Taylor Committee has recommended all these books for library, classroom and home use by clicking. You can also listen to an interview with 2024 Chair Rebecca Levitan as well as read a mock awards blog called The Sydney Taylor Shmooze; gold and silver seals can also be purchased and placed on copies of winning or nominated books if desired!
Patrick Lenton and Alice Bishop won 2023 Overland Neilma Sidney Short Story Prizes with “The Unforeseen”, while Sara Saleh from “All the Little Lives of the House”. Overland editors and judges took great pleasure in selecting these pieces among all those submitted for consideration. Overland would like to extend our appreciation for their tireless effort and commitment to maintaining the integrity of the blind-judging process. Our winning story will appear in our autumn issue and runners-up stories will be published online. Interested in writing for Overland? Reach out! Subscribe to Overland at our special subscriber rate and enter our next contest – sponsored by the Malcolm Robertson Foundation and due May 15! Here, we offer more details on what the prize entails as well as how you can submit your submission.