Works in progress. Writers in progress. Community in progress. 

As writers, we at Cleveland Drafts know that the opportunity to perform new written work is also an occasion to develop writing that has been living in a drawer or to write something entirely new. By highlighting drafts, or works-in-progress that have not yet been published, we encourage the creation and development of literary works from voices in our area who face different challenges to their practice at each new stage of their career.

The annual Cleveland Drafts Literary Festival pairs local business with local literary stars to engage in “creative place-making.” Each year we’ll present local audiences a brand new lineup of local authors reading from “works in progress” across a new featured neighborhood. Festival goers will listen to performances by new and critically acclaimed writers. As a collaboration between more than 15 organizations, Drafts aims to celebrate Northeast Ohio’s diverse culture and foster community across the region.

A vibrant and engaged literary scene is a strong asset not only to writers but to the greater community. Northeast Ohio is a hotbed of literary activity! Cleveland Drafts strives to facilitate a collaborative and inclusive environment by connecting literary organizations, writers, and audiences. In addition to our flagship literary festival, we host bi-monthly collaborative gatherings with our literary partners, and engage in outreach at area festivals and conferences. By promoting reading and civil public discussion, Drafts has the unique opportunity to bridge social and cultural divides across our region by demonstrating the ways that writing is a public, community process, based on free expression and dependent on critical thought.