The Sidney Prize is an award for outstanding investigative journalism that exposes social and economic injustices. The monthly Sidney is open to journalists and writers in traditional and new media, with categories for book (nonfiction); newspaper journalism (story or series; print or online); magazine journalism (longform; print or digital) and broadcast journalism (radio or television; at least 20 minutes in package length). Those selected for the monthly prize are recognized for discernment of a significant news story, resourcefulness and courage in reporting it, skill in relating the news and the impact of the coverage. The foundation also awards a biennial Hillman Prize for journalism on racial and economic justice, and administers the SEIU journalism award.
The prize was established in memory of Dr. Sidney Louis Wagman ’51 to honor his commitment to high ideals. A former chemistry professor at Mercer University, Wagman was an active member of the Mercer community, serving on its Board of Trustees and as a mentor to many students. In addition, he was the founder and president of the Appalachian Student Aid Fund, which provides financial support for Appalachian students to attend college. The winner of the 2024 Sidney Taylor Book Award is Two New Years: A Chinese Jewish Family’s Journey to Rosh Hashanah and the Lunar New Year by Ron Rash, John Parris Distinguished Professor of Appalachian Cultural Studies at Western Carolina University and a former PEN/Faulkner Fellow.
Rash has received numerous awards for his writing, including the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award and a two-time recipient of the O. Henry Prize for short stories. He is the author of six collections of stories and four novels, as well as several books on the craft of writing. He has won the John Grisham First Novel Award, the Carnegie Medal for Fiction, and the PEN/Faulkner Award. He is also the recipient of the 2012 Lanier Prize for Southern Literature.
In a recent essay, Michael Lewis wrote of “the Sidney Prize people”—those who can see reality clearly when the rest of us are lost in a fog of delusion. He cited Meredith Whitney and Steve Eisman as examples—two financial analysts who understood early on that the U.S. financial system was in trouble and that default rates were about to soar.
This year, we are launching a special Hillman-Sidney Prize subscription. For $62, you can get discounted entry into the competition and a one-year subscription to Overland—four issues of the print magazine, access to the daily online publication, and invitations to subscriber events and opportunities. To find out more, click here.