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Colson Whitehead will keynote Inkubator 2026

Sam Allard

Portrait of a man with short dreadlocks and a goatee, wearing a black leather jacket, leaning on a white-pink pedestal, looking upward against a pale blue backdrop. — Photo: Courtesy Chris Close

Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Colson Whitehead will keynote Literary Cleveland's Inkubator Writing Conference, which returns Sept. 9-12 as part of Cleveland Book Fest 2026.

Why it matters: Inkubator has grown into the country's largest free writing conference, drawing more than 4,500 attendees last year with workshops, craft talks and networking for writers of all levels.

Zoom in: This year's theme, "Freedom Is a Community," is inspired by Toni Morrison as part of the state's yearlong celebration. A virtual panel on Morrison's legacy will open the conference Sept. 9.

In-person events at the Cleveland Public Library Sept. 11-12 include workshops, panels and the popular book fair.
For the second time, Inkubator will offer workshops for writers of genre fiction, including dark fantasy, horror, romantasy and sci-fi.

The big ticket: Whitehead will close the conference Sept. 12 with a keynote on his writing career, Harlem Trilogy and Morrison's influence on his work.

What's next: Registration opens Aug. 10.

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Colson Whitehead will keynote Inkubator 2026

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