Join us for our annual day-long Conference, which will not take place at our usual home, the beautiful East Cleveland Library. This year we are going virtual!  So, literary creatives from Cleveland, Northeast Ohio, and throughout the Great Lakes and beyond will gather online to learn from and network with influential publishing industry professionals from hubs including New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

What can you expect at The Great Lakes African American Writers Conference?

Groundbreaking authors and publishing industry professionals
Meaningful dialogue in an intimate setting
Entertainment from riveting storytellers
Networking with like-minded individuals
Wed., Sept. 23, ECPL One Community Reads Panel Discussion of STAMPED: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi featuring Dr. Mary Weems, Poet Michelle Smith Quarles, Jennifer Dial, ECPL Digital Publications Specialist, and the Reverend Dr. Leah Lewis, J.D., Founder & Executive Producer of the Great Lakes African American Writers Conference (CONFIRMED)

Friday, Oct. 2, from 6 pm – 8:30 pm, GLAAWC Youth Spoken Word Competition. Twelve youth, six from CLE, and six from PITT ages 11 – 19 will compete for prizes and bragging rights! (TENTATIVE)

Saturday, Oct. 3, 8:55 a.m. – 5 p.m. the GLAAWC takes place. Pearl Cleage will deliver the Literary Keynote and Kima Jones returns to deliver the Professional Keynote. Brandi Larsen will deliver a lecture on “Unlocking the Big 5: How Traditional Publishing Works.” The full schedule will be revealed soon.

Sun., Oct. 4, 2:45 p.m. – 6 p.m. Pearl Cleage’s play Flyin West will be shown featuring the Pittsburgh-based Demaskus Theater Collective followed by a Q & A with the playwright, Pearl Cleage, producer, director, and cast.