Baton Rouge Area Foundation

Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence

Deadline: 
December 31, 2023 - Check back on October 15th for Upcoming Deadline
Cash Prize: 
$15,000
E-mail address: 

A prize of $15,000 is given annually to an emerging African American writer for a book of fiction published in the current year. The winner also receives travel and lodging expenses to attend an awards ceremony and participate in educational outreach events in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 2024. Anthony Grooms, Edward P. Jones, Elizabeth Nunez, Francine Prose, and Patricia Towers will judge. Submit eight copies (or bound galleys) of a short story collection or novel published between October 1, 2022, and December 31, 2023, by December 31. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.

Baton Rouge Area Foundation, Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence, 100 North Street, Suite 900, Baton Rouge, LA 70802. (225) 387-6126. Travis Hutchins, Director of Donor Services.