Literary Cleveland, a nonprofit organization committed to nurturing a vibrant community of readers and writers in Northeast Ohio, is hosting its fourth annual Cleveland Inkubator conference this summer.
 
The conference will begin on Tuesday, July 31st with a book swap and reading by Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts (NEOMFA) alumni, and culminate on Saturday, August 4th with the Cleveland Inkubator writers conference featuring a keynote reading and talk from award-winning author Benjamin Percy at the Cleveland Public Library Stokes Wing (525 Superior Ave., Cleve. 44115).
 
“Literary Cleveland continues to promote a culture of reading and writing in Northeast Ohio by offering free programs with our partners,” says executive director Lee Chilcote. “For the fourth year running, Cleveland Inkubator is expected to engage hundreds of writers and readers in Northeast Ohio’s diverse, stellar literary scene!”
 
The schedule for Cleveland Inkubator includes:
 

• Tue, 7/31, 6.30-9p: Lit Cleveland Book Swap and NEOMFA Reading at Market Garden Brewery, 1947 West 25th Street, Cleve OH 44113
• Wed, 8/1, 7-9p: OutLoud Cleveland, a reading by the LGBTQ+ literary community of Northeast Ohio Happy Dog at the Euclid Tavern, 11625 Euclid Ave, Cleve OH 44106
• Thur., 8/2, 6-8p: Writing about Your Neighborhood, presented by Cleveland Stories, Lit Cleveland’s place based writing program at Seeds of Literacy, 13815 Kinsman Rd, Cleve OH 44120
• Fri, 8/3, 7-9p: How Do You Create Suspense? I’ll Tell You Later, a workshop with Benjamin Percy at Cleveland Public Library, Learning Commons, 2nd Floor, Stokes Wing, 525 Superior Ave. Cleve. 44115
• Sat, 8/4, 8a-4p: Cleveland Inkubator conference for writers and readers, including Book Fair featuring Dzanc Books, Night Ballet Press, NEOMFA, Cuyahoga County Public Library Writers’ Center, Mac’s Back Books, Appletree Books, and more at Cleveland Public Library’s Stokes Wing
• Sat, 8/4, 3-4:30p, Benjamin Percy reading and conversation with author Brad Ricca

 
Inkubator, Northeast Ohio’s largest free annual literary festival, is made by possible with the support of Cleveland Public Library and the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts and Culture. Additionally, the festival is sponsored by Overdrive and Council Gardens.
 
The full schedule for 2018’s Cleveland Inkubator can be found on our website at www.litcleveland.org.

On Friday 6/1, Lit Cleveland members, staff, and supporters gathered at The Bop Stop at the Music Settlement for Lit Cleveland's annual fundraiser party, A LIT Summer Night. True to its name, the sold-out party offered an evening of lively, lit-themed entertainment. The night featured celebrity writers-for-hire Mary Weems, Susan Petrone, and Ray McNiece composing short, spontaneous pieces with only a single noun, verb, and adjective to guide them; Lit Cleveland's first-ever Live Auction, emceed by WCPN's own Amy Eddings; a Lit Jam starring local authors Kisha Nicole Foster, EF Schraeder, and Michael Garriga backed by jazz trio Sun Song's smooth improvisations; an array of enticing raffle baskets; and more. Perhaps most importantly, A LIT Summer Night provided a unique opportunity for writers and readers of every stripe to connect and toast to the continued health of the literary arts in Cleveland and beyond. 

A heartfelt THANKS to all who attended and performed on this special evening. Thanks also to our staff, board members, and fundraising committee for organizing, and to our sponsors OverDrive and Council Gardens for helping make A LIT Summer Night a reality.