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Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize (2015-)
Subcategory of Awards Australian Awards
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History

Inaugurated in 2016, and named for the late Neilma Sidney. The award is supported by the Malcolm Robertson Foundation and administered by Overland. It is limited to travel-themed short fiction.

Latest Winners / Recipients

Year: 2022

Indexed selectively: joint runner up, Aotearoa writer Zoe Meager; also shortlisted, Aotearoa New Zealand writer Lawrence Patchett.
winner Claire Aman for 'Golden Hour'.

Year: 2021

Also shortlisted: Brussels-born, Taipei-based writer Germain Canon; Filipino-New Zealander writer Mikee Donato Sto Domingo.
winner The Labeller Saraid Taylor , 2022 single work short story
— Appears in: Overland , Autumn no. 246 2022; (p. 63-67)

Year: 2020

winner The Case of G : A Child Raised by Trains Tricia Dearborn , 2021 single work short story
— Appears in: Overland , Autumn no. 242 2021; (p. 69-72)

Year: 2019

winner Kátharsis George Haddad , 2019 single work short story
— Appears in: Overland , Winter no. 235 2019; (p. 27-31)

'I drive the ATV south from the hotel to Jackie O’ Beach Club. Kosta is on the back with one arm around my waist and the other gripping his phone, filming for Instagram. I tell him to put his phone away a lot but this time I get it. I park suddenly.' (Introduction)

Year: 2017

winner The Trip Katy Warner , 2017 single work short story
— Appears in: Overland , Autumn no. 226 2017; (p. 82-87)
winner Unspooling Laura Elvery , 2018 single work short story
— Appears in: Overland , Autumn no. 230 2018; (p. 34-37)

'This is the letter the government department has sent Joe, advising him that he could be deported. Here is the number of days until he might go: 28. A number as small and square and bureaucratic as the postage stamp on the envelope. Here is the lawyer’s website. This is the figure the lawyer quoted to help save him and it’s astronomical, eye-watering, but also doable. Essential.'  (Introduction)

Works About this Award

The 2015 Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize Alice Pung , Ellen van Neerven , Stephanie Honor Convery , 2016 single work essay
— Appears in: Overland , Autumn no. 222 2016; (p. 41)

'The article offers the insights of the authors on the winning entries for the 2015 Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize. It mentioned the runner up entries that were received by "On the Road to Kuang Si Falls" short story by Ashleigh Synnott and the "Civilisation at Last" by Toby Sime while the "K-k-k" short story by Lauren Foley won the first prize.' (Publication abstract)

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