Month: July 2025

Sidney Prize is an annual literary award presented by the American Academy of Arts and Letters to writers whose works examine human condition. Awarded since 1958, this honor includes an additional $1000 stipend that assists writers with writing expenses; two honorable mentions also receive this prestigious recognition from this committee of distinguished writers and editors who vote on who should win it each year. The winner is determined by an independent committee comprised of prominent writers and editors and can count themselves among a long list of past winners. In addition to receiving a $1000 stipend, the Sydney Taylor Book Award winner also receives a gold seal and certificate from the Academy of Arts and Letters. The prize honors Australian journalist Sydney Taylor who founded the academy; this award recognizes outstanding literary works published within the last ten years across any genre or style. Academic prizes are generally given annually to recognize student achievements in specific units or programs of study. No application is usually necessary; students are nominated by faculty based on midyear and final year results for these prizes. Literary prizes require applications with written work submission for consideration. The University of Sydney People’s Choice award is selected through popular vote from amongst shortlisted titles for both Christina Stead Prize for Fiction and Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-Fiction shortlists, to be revealed at Sydney Taylor Book Award ceremony 2025. Our committee recommends winning titles to you for use in libraries, classrooms and homes alike. Hillman Foundation in the US honors journalists who practice investigative reporting and deep storytelling “in service to the common good.” Ronen Bergman and Mark Mazzetti won two 2025 Hillman Prizes: Ronen Bergman for Their Article in New York Times Magazine Entitled Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: Central America and its Emergence as a Crisis while Jennifer Gollan and Susie Neilson won for Their Piece on Canadian Arctic Military Listening Stations published by San Francisco Chronicle. The Overland Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize is an annual contest hosted by Australian literary and cultural magazine Overland with support from the Malcolm Robertson Foundation, offering excellent short fiction of up to 3000 words related to travel themes. Creative, imaginative and literary interpretations are encouraged for this contest. The winner will receive $5,000 AUD and their story will be featured in Overland’s autumn issue; two runners-up will each be awarded $750 AUD. Entries can come from anywhere around the world at any stage in their writing career. Subscribers of Overland will enjoy a discounted entry fee of $12 AUD; non-subscribers will be charged $20. For more information visit the Overland website; judges for this year’s competition will include Patrick Lenton, Alice Bishop and Sara Saleh; the shortlist will be revealed in September with winning entries being published online alongside autumn issue.

Lotteries are popular forms of gambling in which individuals purchase tickets in hopes of winning money or other prizes, and lottery participation can become addictive. When considering entering a lottery, be mindful of some key points: firstly be sure that you play responsibly; if gambling becomes problematic for you seek help immediately: 1-800-GAMBLER can provide 24-hour helpline service 24-7/7! There are various strategies you can employ to increase your chances of winning the lottery, but no guaranteed strategy exists. Your odds will depend on both the numbers drawn and how many tickets are sold; more tickets increase your odds, so purchase only those you can afford and don’t purchase more than you need at once! Lotteries were an integral component of colonial America’s finances during its early days, financing public works such as roads, libraries, churches, colleges, canals and bridges as well as funding military ventures such as cannons for Philadelphia or George Washington’s Mountain Road Lottery to finance his expedition against Canada. Lotterie funds may be put towards various uses. Some funds go directly to retailers selling tickets while some is retained by lottery administrators to cover operational expenses. Most proceeds, however, are distributed among prize winners with some going toward education initiatives or initiatives like scholarships for children with special needs. Some lotteries even provide players with an overview of how their winnings are distributed so that they know exactly how much will come their way if they win a game. One of the primary drivers behind lottery participation is FOMO (fear of missing out). They fear missing out on an incredible prize if they do not buy tickets and participate. This can be particularly motivating when people are experiencing financial issues or facing stress-inducing conditions such as anxiety. As jackpots in certain lotteries reach unfathomably high levels, their odds against winning can seem nearly impossible; yet tickets still continue to sell due to their sunk costs – it makes more sense to play than not, even though your chances of success may be very slim. Not all lotteries offer only jackpot prizes; others also provide additional awards for other combinations of winning numbers such as matching letters in a word or date, or meeting specific criteria like matching dates or letters in words. Although these smaller awards can add up quickly, they can also be deceptive when trying to determine how best to invest your winnings. It is advisable to consult a financial advisor when determining how best to invest your winnings; additionally, lottery winners have the option of having taxes withheld from their payouts which can reduce future tax bills significantly