Welcome! We look forward to welcoming you on September 22-23 for the ninth annual Inkubator Writing Conference. See the information below for details to help plan your visit.
Inkubator Writing Conference virtual events take place Tuesday through Saturday, September 18-20 via Zoom Webinar. Those who register will receive Zoom links and instructions for accessing the free online programs three days in advance. The virtual conversations will also be broadcast live on Facebook and will be available to view for 30 days after the program.
Hotel lodging is available downtown. Nearby options include:
Hyatt Regency Cleveland At The Arcade
Drury Plaza Hotel
Hampton Inn
Nearby parking garages include:
ABM Rockwell Garage
Memorial Plaza
200 Public Square Garage
Metered parking is available nearby and is free on Saturdays, though it may be difficult to find a spot.
We encourage the use of public transit to attend the conference. The Cleveland Public Library is a .2 mile (6 minute) walk from the Public Square bus terminal and Tower City rapid station.
Plan to arrive early at the downtown Cleveland Public Library to check in and receive your conference materials before attending your first session.
Check in Friday, September 22 from 10:00-11:00am and September 23 from 8:00-9:00am
Coffee and water will be available for free at the conference with some light snacks. Literary Cleveland will offer box lunch options for purchase both days as well as a Friday dinner buffet option. Place your food order before September 15.
Nearby breakfast options include Rising Star Coffee, 1890 Restaurant, Mike & Dee's Diner, and chains like Au Bon Pain and Dunkin'. Nearby lunch and dinner options include Ohio City Burrito, Rebol, Citizen Pie, Barrio, and chains like Shake Shack, Potbelly, and more.
Downtown visitors are in walking distance from Public Square, Tower City, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Great Lakes Science Center, Playhouse Square, sports arenas, the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie. Further afield we recommend visiting the West Side Market, Edgewater Park, Wendy Park Coast Guard Station, and the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Plus no trip to Cleveland is complete without stops at indie bookstores Clevo Books, Visible Voice Books, Appletree Books, Loganberry Books, Mac's Backs Books, Third Space Reading Room, Book Brothers, the Bookshop in Lakewood and more. Snag a Cleveland Bookworm Challenge map for more places to visit.
Literary Cleveland's Inkubator Writing Conference is just the beginning of Cleveland Book Week. Be sure to check out the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards ceremony and events September 26-30 as well as the Great Lakes African American Writers Conference (GLAAWC) September 30.
Literary Cleveland is committed to making the Inkubator Writing Conference as accessible as possible.
To request accommodation or accessibility support, please contact ADA Coordinator Michelle Smith at 330-622-0606 or send an email no later than 14 days before this event.
Check out our past conferences below.