The Kentucky Women Writers Conference  is offering cash prizes and other benefits in writing contests and several scholarships this year, each with a registration postmark deadline of July 1.

The Kentucky Women Writers Conference is an annual event known for bringing notable women writers to Lexington for readings, writing workshops and discussions. The conference will run Sept. 19-22, at the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning and several additional evening venues. Online registration for the conference is now open, but is not a requirement for entering its contests.

Currently, the Kentucky Women Writers Conference staff is accepting entries for their annual Betty Gabehart Prize, to be judged by its Board of Advisors. Three prizes will be awarded as part of the contest in poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction. Individuals making submissions for these three contests should include a $10 entry fee. Each winner will receive $200, two 2-day passes to the conference, and the opportunity to read her winning manuscript at this year’s conference on Friday or Saturday, Sept. 20 or 21. Manuscripts must be postmarked by July 1. Winners will be notified and announced on the conference website by Aug. 9.

Five postgraduate merit scholarships are also being offered to women enrolled in graduate school—any age, residing in any state, attending any school, in any degree program, though typically enrolled in a Master of Fine Arts program. To apply, graduate students should submit a five-page writing sample by July 1, along with a cover letter that describes their interest in the conference and mentions the writing workshop in which they would like to enroll. Applications for the scholarships will be reviewed by a committee of the conference director, Julie Wrinn, plus one advisor. Scholarship awards will be announced by Aug. 1 on the Kentucky Women Writers Conference website. This opportunity is available thanks to an anonymous donor.

The Kentucky Women Writers Conference is housed in the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences.  The conference is made possible in part by continued community partnerships, including its primary venue, the Carnegie Center.

For contest and scholarship guidelines and details on the Kentucky Women Writers Conference, visit http://womenwriters.as.uky.edu or call 859-257-2874.