The Sydney Prize is awarded each year for work that addresses the challenges of our times. Whether through fiction or nonfiction, poetry or prose, it seeks writing that engages and informs, in ways that contribute to our collective understanding of the world. The Sydney Prize carries on the legacy of Sidney Hook, an American philosopher who was a founding member of Phi Beta Kappa. The award was established in 1991 and is funded by contributions from members of the Society. The winner receives a cash prize and is honored at the Society’s Triennial Council Meeting. Nominations will be made open to all Society members for three years prior to the awards ceremony. The call for nominations will be published in the Key Reporter and in the general newsletter.
This year the Sydney prize went to Nazanin Boniadi, an Iranian actress and human rights activist who is committed to advancing women’s freedom in Iran. The prize was awarded to her in recognition of her tireless efforts to turn outrage into action. “On behalf of the City of Sydney, I would like to congratulate Nazanin for her work in advancing women’s freedom in Australia and beyond,” said Lord Mayor Clover Moore.
Nazanin’s activism in her home country of Iran has helped bring about an unprecedented increase in freedom for women, and has contributed to a shift away from repressive policies that are often blamed for the nation’s economic problems. Her work is exemplary of how citizens can use their voice and influence public policy to make a difference in the lives of others around the world.
Other winners of this year’s Sydney prize include Samuel G. Freedman, for his book Into the Bright Sunshine, for a new perspective on Hubert Humphrey’s underappreciated legacy in the fight for civil and human rights. The new 2024 George Barrett Award, for a lawyer whose professional career exemplifies the spirit of the late civil rights leader, was given to Philippe Sands KC, for his tireless work on behalf of people without money or power to secure their basic civil and human rights, address legacies of colonialism, and protect our global environment.
The Sydney Literary and Arts Journal Prize was awarded to Australian poet Anne-Marie Stackhouse, for her collection of poems, The Darkling Field, for its ability to capture the complex beauty of human relationships. The Sydney Essay Prize was given to Helen Andrews for her essay in First Things, “Shame Storm,” an amazing account of online viciousness.
The Neilma Sydney Short Story Prize, supported by the Malcolm Robertson Foundation, aims to reward outstanding original short fiction written around the notion of travel. The judges, Patrick Lenton, Alice Bishop and Sara Saleh, reviewed over 500 entries, to select a shortlist of eight pieces and two runners-up. Overland will publish the winning entry in our autumn edition, and the runners-up stories online. The prize is worth $5000 and a publishing contract with Overland. Writers can enter the contest by taking out a new subscription at the special subscriber rate.