BATON ROUGE - The deadline is approaching for people to submit entries for the 13th annual Ernest J.  Gaines Award for Literary Excellence.

The deadline is August 15.

Sponsored by the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, the Gaines Award was created to "honor outstanding literary work from rising African-American authors while recognizing Louisiana native Ernest Gaines’ extraordinary contribution to the literary world."

The winner, who will be announced at an event next January, will take home a cash prize of $15,000. Click here for more information on the contest.