Sidney Prize is an ongoing award that recognizes outstanding investigative journalism that exposes social and economic injustices. Nominations for either single stories or series may be submitted, with entries judged based on quality, originality, impact, and ability to change the world. Winners receive both cash honorariums as well as certificates designed by New Yorker cartoonist Edward Sorel; additionally the Hillman Foundation presents Hillman Prizes annually in both Canada and the U.S.
Ron Rash of Western Carolina University was chosen as the 2020 recipient of the Sidney Prize for Poetry presented by Mercer University’s Spencer B. King Jr. Center for Southern Studies. This annual award honors 19th-century poet Sidney Lanier and recognizes him with one of several literary prizes given each year at this location.
Everyday life seems to be shrinking ever smaller; essays have given way to op-eds, blog posts and Twitter tweets; however, long form writing still matters and the Sidney Awards serve as a beacon against technology by honoring some of the finest writing in magazines and books each year.
Steven Pinker took on some big questions with this year’s winners. Leon Wieseltier and Steven Pinker engaged in an extended debate in the New Republic over the place of science in modern thought; Pinker asserted that contrary to what some humanities professors may claim, science provides us with insight into virtually everything. Walter Russell Mead examined our current political debate over liberalism’s definition, finding two versions: Manchester liberalism from 1890s Manchester and big organization managerial-state liberalism of today.
Many of the winning essays focused on religion. Dr. Jennifer Snow from Church Divinity School of the Pacific won for her essay, “Mission, Race, and Empire: The Episcopal Church in Global Context,” published in Church History. Mark Valeri was awarded with the 2023 Sidney Prize for Religious History by SHOT for his book entitled: The Opening of the Protestant Mind: How Anglo-American Protestants Embraced Religious Liberty (Oxford University Press 2023).
Under the law category, a special prize has been presented to student papers written for courses or independent study projects dealing with topics of private law. The paper must be of sufficient quality and merit to warrant recognition by the committee; should two papers be judged equal in terms of quality and merit, this prize may be divided among them if desired by Emilie Ann Consett Stephen who generously provided funding. Patrick Lenton, Alice Bishop and Sara Saleh will serve as judges. The submission deadline is April 18 and prize will be awarded in the fall. The Project on Private Law is overseen by a faculty committee consisting of Robert Frost ’96, A. B. Guthrie ’36 and Budd Schulberg ’36 who all act under Professor Sidney Cox ’27’s active chairmanship.