The University of Sydney offers an array of literary prizes, which are awarded annually for submissions on a chosen topic. Submissions can be in a wide variety of forms, from poems to essays. All submissions must be accompanied by a completed Copyright Release Form. Prizes are offered in a range of disciplines, and some have been in existence for over a century.
Many of the prizes are named in honor of individuals who have made significant contributions to their field or society, but others are named in the name of organizations and institutions. Several are named for notable alumni or notable academics, but the majority of them are named for prominent public figures and social reformers. A number of the prize winners are Nobel laureates, and other notable individuals have received honorary degrees from the university.
There are also a number of scholarships and fellowships available for students who want to continue their studies at the university. Some of these scholarships are based on financial need, while others are based on academic merit. Students may be able to apply for these scholarships and fellowships through the university website.
In addition to the prestigious Sidney Taylor Book Award, there are a number of other prizes available to students who perform well in different fields. The Sydney Chess Tournament awards a prize to the winner, as well as plaques for all of the top-five finishers. There is a competition for the best student paper, as well. This is an annual event that takes place during the fall semester.
Some of the prestigious sidney prize are named after a famous individual, while others are named after a field of study or a particular university. For example, the Sydney Cox Prize is named after an English professor who was renowned for teaching his students to write well. This prize is based on the faculty’s selection of the strongest honors thesis or theses in the area of literature.
The Sidney Hook Award, which is given each year at the National Association of Scholars’ national conference, honors an individual who has earned national distinction for scholarship and undergraduate teaching. This award is named after American philosopher Sidney Hook, who was an early advocate for preserving the integrity of undergraduate education.
The 2024 Hillman Prize went to journalists Robert Fife and Steven Chase for their work on “Foreign Interference: China’s Influence in Canadian Politics.” Their story, which uncovered the extent of Chinese interference in Canada, has triggered a national debate and is driving the country to take action. The 2023 Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize was won by Annie Zhang for her story ‘Who Rattles the Night?’, published by Overland. A Western Sydney writer and editor, Zhang lives on unceded Wangal land. She is a former WestWords Western Sydney Emerging Writer Fellow and has previously had stories published in Island, Kill Your Darlings, and the Big Issue. The judges described the work as ‘fearless and brilliantly accomplished’.