The Sidney Awards, named after philosopher Sidney Hook, recognize some of the best magazine essays of the year. This year many of them probed the intersection of science and the humanities. For example, intellectual heavyweights Steven Pinker and Leon Wieseltier went toe-to-toe in the New Republic over the proper role of science in modern thought. One side argues that science gives us insight into nearly everything; the other, that it’s dangerous to restrict our understanding of the world to what can be proven scientifically.
This month Overland magazine announced Annie Zhang, a graduate of the Western Sydney University writing program, as the winner of its 2023 Neilma Sidney Prize for short fiction. Her story, ‘Who Rattles the Night?’, is set in Chinatown. Her story joins the ranks of previous winners including ‘A Map of Underneath’ by Madeleine Rebbechi, and ‘Whack-a-Mole’ by Sheila Ngoc Pham.
A book by York professor Edward Jones-Imhotep has won the prestigious 2018 Sidney Edelstein prize from the Society for the History of Technology (SHOT). The prize honors an outstanding scholarly book on the history of technology published in the previous three years. Jones-Imhotep is a professor of history at the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies (LA&PS) and teaches HIST 1777: Disasters and History.
SHOT’s Edelstein Prize was established in 1968 through the generosity of Sidney M. Edelstein, a noted expert on dyes and dye processes and founder of the Dexter Chemical Corporation. The annual award, which includes a cash prize and a plaque, is named in his honor and memory.
An AJL essay by Clare Jackson—who studied history at Sidney as an undergraduate and returned to do a PhD on royalist ideas in late-seventeenth century Scotland—has won a prestigious literary prize. The essay is an amazing account of online viciousness, describing how, when she appeared on a panel about conservatism with her ex-boyfriend, he turned the conversation into a diatribe against her.
AJL’s Sydney Taylor Manuscript Awards have provided an incentive for authors with varying levels of experience to try their hand at writing for the journal. A number of manuscripts that have won the award have subsequently been published, and some that have won the prize carry the AJL Sydney Taylor seal on their cover. If you’re interested in submitting an essay to AJL, please see our submission guidelines. If you’re already a contributor, we suggest reviewing our style guide to help you meet the journal’s standards. We look forward to reading your work!