The sidney prize is a prestigious award that goes to some of the best magazine essays of the year. This year, many of the winners probed the intersection of science and the humanities. For instance, Leon Wieseltier and Steven Pinker went toe-to-toe in the New Republic over the proper role of science in modern thought. Pinker took the expansive view, arguing that, despite what blinkered humanities professors might argue, science gives us insight into nearly everything.

The prize is based on the work of the late Sidney E. Iwanter (BA ’71, History), a Madison native who loved to document the knowledge of his generation and passed it on to future ones. He was a founder of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America and a leader of the Congress of Industrial Organizations, but his greatest love was for the University of Wisconsin. To this end, he donated funds to establish an award that honors outstanding scholarship of a broad and interdisciplinary nature.

Over the years, the Hillman Foundation has honored writers who pursue social justice and public policy for the common good. The foundation honors journalists in both traditional and new media who are able to see the big picture in the world around them, who are able to illuminate the great issues of our time—from searching for a basis for lasting peace to providing decent housing, medical care and employment for all, to protecting civil liberties, democracy and the battle against discrimination of all kinds.

In addition, the prize will help to support Dr Katy Bell’s research into improving cancer screening and detecting early signs of cardiovascular disease in patients. The SOAR prize will assist her with accelerating her existing research programs and enable her to increase her international collaborations.

Another example of the way in which the prize supports interdisciplinary research is Dr Ernest Ekpo’s project into mechanobiology and the interface between law and the energy sector. His research seeks to improve the benefits and reduce the harm of medical testing for a range of conditions including cancer, coronary heart disease and other chronic diseases.

The 2024 Overland Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize will award the winner $5000 and their short story will be published in Overland, with two runners-up receiving $750 each. We encourage entries from all writers, nationally and internationally, at any stage in their career. The judges, Patrick Lenton, Alice Bishop and Sara Saleh, reviewed over 500 submissions to come up with their shortlist of eight pieces. Writers who subscribe to Overland receive a discounted entry rate. Read the full guidelines for submissions here. The deadline for entries is October 31.