Colson Whitehead Is the Keynote Speaker of Literary Cleveland’s 2026 Inkubator Conference

Literary Cleveland is gearing up for its annual free Inkubator writing conference, from Sept. 9 to 12. Today, the organization announced a notable lineup of writers hosting workshops, panel discussions, keynote speeches and more.

The 12th annual event takes on the theme of “Freedom Is a Community” — an idea written by Colson Whitehead in his book The Underground Railroad. Whitehead, who won Pulitzers for both The Underground Railroad and his novel The Nickel Boys, is the keynote speaker at this year’s conference. The author speaks at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12 at CPL’s Martin Luther King Jr. Branch.

“In a time where belonging and freedom are contested in both familiar and emerging ways, writers are in a unique position to bring people into conversation towards unity,” says Literary Cleveland executive director Matt Weinkam in a news release. “Poets, novelists and memoirists have the power to foster empathy, challenge assumptions, and imagine a more just future.”

The conference’s theme and events connect with Literary Cleveland’s ongoing “Ohio Celebrates Toni Morrison” program. On Sept. 9, a virtual panel discussing the impact of Toni Morrison will feature a slew of accomplished writers: Julia Alvarez, Sasha Bonét, Fanonne Jeffers, Imani Perry, Danzy Senna and Kevin Young.

RELATED: Ohio Celebrates Toni Morrison with One Year of Literary Events

The in-person conference, Sept. 11-12, features workshops, craft talks, a fashion contest, a book fair and more. Guests include journalist Wilbert L. Cooper, Detroit poet laureate Jessica Care Moore, short fiction writer Danielle Evans, nonfiction writer Rachel Jamison Webster and many more. In total, 50 events will take place over Inkubator’s four days.

While events are free and open to the public, they require registration. Registration opens at 8 a.m. on Aug. 10.

Coupled with Inkubator are other literary-focused book events, all a part of Cleveland Book Fest. That includes the Great Lakes African American Writers Conference on Sept. 5 and the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards Sept. 18-19. Find more details at clevelandbookfest.com.

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