The following is a list of seven free writing contests, awards, and grants that offer cash prizes. All of them are free to enter, though each contest has strict guidelines.

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1. The BBC National Short Story Award, open to residents of the U.K., offers a grand prize of £15,000, £3,000 for the runner-up and £500 for three further shortlisted. The stories will be read on the BBC.The deadline for submission is March 6th, 2017. To learn more, read the guidelines here.

2. The Mississippi Arts Commission Artist Fellowship awards up to $5,000 to Mississippi artists who “demonstrate the ability to create exemplary work in their chosen field.” This year they are funding artists for screenwriting, playwriting, creative non-fiction.

(If you are not from Mississippi it is worth looking into the regional fellowships that may be available to you. Most states and major cities have funding opportunities for artists and writers.)

The deadline is March 1st, 2017. To learn more, read the guidelines here.

3. The Writers Trust of Canada offers the Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers. The award is for $5,000. They also give $1,000 to two finalists. Writers must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.The deadline is March 6, 2017. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.

4. The L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest is open for submissions. Emerging writers of fantasy or science fiction can submit prose of up to 17,000 words. Writers must be relatively unpublished (see number 5 on the guidelines). The first place winner will receive $1,000; second place will receive $750; and third place will receive $500. Winners will also receive trophies. At the end of the year, a Grand Prize winner will be announced and awarded $5,000.The next deadline is March 31, but the contest is held every quarter. To learn more, read the contest guidelines.

5. The University of Pittsburgh Press is holding the Drue Heinz Literature Prize. Published writers may submit a collection of short fiction for consideration. The winner will receive $15,000 and publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press.The deadline is June 30, but the submission period begins on May 1. To learn more, read the prize guidelines.

6. Winning Writers is currently hosting the Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest. Poets can submit one humorous poem for consideration. The first place winner will receive $1,000; second place will receive $250; and 10 honorable mentions will receive $100 each. All winners will be published online.

Deadline (appropriately) is April 1. To learn more, read the contest guidelines

7. The Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation is soon to open their 2017 playwriting competition. Playwrights are invited to submit full-length plays that concern LGBT issues and are “based on, or directly inspired by, a historical person, culture, work of art, or event.” First prize is $3,000. The contest opens on March 1st, and closes on April 30th, 2017. To learn more, read the contest guidelines.