The university has a rich tradition of literary prizes that reward excellence in a wide range of writing. Most require submission of a written piece (often an essay) on a selected topic and are awarded for work that has been well researched, argued for and eloquently presented. Some prizes are awarded to undergraduates, others to graduates and some to the public. The university also offers a number of other prizes that reward artistic endeavour.

A prize can motivate a writer to achieve greater depth and breadth in their research or writing, and provide the encouragement and financial means to complete projects that they might otherwise struggle with. Prizes are often based on a contribution from a donor, but some are a result of the university’s annual budget.

In the latter case, these prizes are often named after a particular person, or for a specific purpose. For example, the Sidney Arts Prize is given to students who show outstanding talent and promise in their first year of study.

Other prizes are named for individuals who have contributed significantly to the fields in which the prize is held. For example, the Sidney Thomas Prize for art history is awarded annually to the best undergraduate paper in this field. This is an award in memory of the late Professor Sidney Thomas, a long-time member of the department.

Several prizes are named after famous scholars who have contributed significantly to their fields. One such prize is the Edelstein Prize in History of Technology, which recognises an outstanding scholarly book in history of technology published in the previous three years. The prize is jointly administered by SHOT and the Bibliographical Society of America, and the winner is chosen by a committee of distinguished historians in consultation with the organisers of the Edelstein Prize conference.

The Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize, which is run by Overland magazine, aims to celebrate ‘powerful and original’ short fiction. It has a top prize of $5000, with two runners up receiving $750 each. This year’s winner was Saraid Taylor, for her story ‘The Labeller’. It will be published in Overland and the runners up, Miriam Webster for ‘New Directions in Anthropomorphism’ and Mikee Donato Sto Domingo for ‘Bite the Hand’, will have their stories published online.

The Hillman Foundation awards monetary prizes to journalists and other writers who pursue social justice and public policy in service of the common good. The foundation was established in 1946, and is led by president emeritus of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America labor union (a forbearer of Unite Here and Workers United, now SEIU) Bruce Raynor. The foundation’s mission is to honor the legacy of its founder, who fought for labor rights. The foundation also administers the monthly Sidney Awards, which recognize investigative journalism that serves the public interest. The Hillman Foundation was a contributor to ProPublica’s coverage of the sex trafficking scandal in Chicago.