The University of Sydney offers an array of literary prizes in a number of different disciplines. Most require applicants to submit written work, often an essay or poem on a specific subject. Some have long histories, others were established recently as bequests to the University. All prize submissions must be made via the online application system. In the case of poetry and plays, works should be submitted under a nom de plume.
The Sidney Prize is a writing competition for undergraduate students in any discipline at the University of Sydney. The winner receives a cash prize and a publication in Overland magazine. The runners-up stories will be published online alongside the autumn issue. The competition is named after the late Australian poet, Neilma Gantner.
In honor of the late Professor Sidney Cox, this annual prize, administered by a committee consisting of Robert Frost ’96 and A. B. Guthrie ’96, recognizes the best piece of creative writing by an undergraduate student. This award is open to all students at any stage of their academic career and can be for fiction, nonfiction or a combination of both.
This prestigious prize, offered annually by the Society for the History of Technology, is awarded to the author of an outstanding book in the field of the history of technology published during the previous calendar year. This year, the prize was awarded to Stephan Miescher for A Dam for Africa: The Politics of Technological Modernity in Colonial Ghana (Indiana University Press, 2022).
The Sydney Taylor Book Awards committee also began designating “Notable Books,” which are books that are not selected as prize winners but are deemed worthy of public attention. The committee has published these lists every year since 1985. A compilation of Notable Books from 1985 to 1999 is available.
Each year, the University of Sydney offers a variety of scholarships and awards to support students at all levels of their studies. Scholarships are available to undergraduate and postgraduate students, and to the children of current and former University of Sydney staff members. The awards are made on the basis of merit and financial need, and are a way of showing our appreciation for the commitment and contribution of our alumni and friends to the University.
Named after the 19th-century writer from Macon, Georgia, this annual prize recognizes Middle Georgia’s rich literary heritage and the ongoing tradition of writing about the region. The prize is intended to encourage writers to engage and expand this legacy, and the judges look for works that exemplify the qualities of Southern literature.
The Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize, supported by the Malcolm Robertson Foundation, is a literary prize open to all writers at any stage of their careers. The competition seeks moving, powerful and original short fiction loosely themed around the notion of travel. The winner receives a $5000 prize and publication in Overland magazine, while two runners-up will be published online alongside the autumn issue. Read the winning story here.
