Lit Community Resources
The region that includes Northeast Ohio is a rich literary landscape! Here are some of the literary organizations, events, writing workshops, and book clubs that we know about.
If you have a program or group and would like to be added to this list, please email us at info@lityoungstown.org.
Literary Organizations
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Central Ohio Fiction Writers
Established in 1987 to promote excellence in romantic fiction, helping writers to become published and establish careers in their writing field.
Central & Southern Ohio Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators
Our group includes the Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton areas of Ohio. We’ve got lots of active writers and illustrators in our region–from just-dipping-their-toes-in beginners to multi-published/award-winning authors.
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Flamingo Writers Guild
Established to create a platform for writers in Parma, Ohio. Offers workshops to develop craft, monthly readings, a literary magazine, and the Myanmar Literacy Project. For a list of events, view their Upcoming Events.
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Greater Cincinnati Writers League Website
The GCWL meets the second Friday of each month in the Hermitage Room of The Regency, 2444 Madison Rd., in Cincinnati.
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Great Lakes Fiction Writers Website
The road to publication is as exciting as it is challenging. Whatever you write, you will find someone in our group who shares your passion. Whether a published author or aspiring writer, you will find tremendous support in pursuing your dreams.
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Lake Erie Ink
Lake Erie Ink is a not for profit 501(c)3 that provides creative expression opportunities and academic support to youth in the Greater Cleveland community.
Lit Cleveland
Developing writers, amplifying voices, and transforming our community through storytelling.
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Northern Ohio Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators Website
Ohio Poetry Association Website
Workshops, reading, contests, podcast. Will host the National Federation of Poetry Societies annual conference in June, 2022
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Ohio Writers’ Guild Website
A supportive community of and for Ohio authors.
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Ohio Writers League Facebook page
Message board for writers, nonprofit administrators, programs
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Poets Against Racism & Hate USA Website
Provides poets who write about social justice with opportunities to learn, publish and perform their work.
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Scioto Literary aims to build a literary infrastructure in southern Ohio and the Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia tri-state region.
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Thurber House Website
In honor of James Thurber, a humorist, cartoonist, author, playwright, and journalist from Ohio, the Thurber House offers writing camps and workshops for all ages year-round.
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Two Dollar Radio
Two Dollar Radio is a family-run outfit founded in 2005 with the mission to reaffirm the cultural and artistic spirit of the publishing industry.
Outreach, community writing, readings, book contest, public art
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Central Ohio’s “relatively” comprehensive resource for writers and readers.
Literary Events
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BAYarts Annual Art & Music Festival
“Over 75 local vendors: art, locally grown food, live music, food trucks, kid friendly projects. Free admission and parking, friendly dogs on leash welcome.” Find more event details by visiting the Annual Art & Music Festival event page.
Ohioana Book Festival
“Since its inception in 2007, the Ohioana Book Festival has given readers the opportunity to connect with their favorite Ohio writers. Held each spring, the festival welcomes roughly 140 authors and more than 3,000 visitors every year.” Visit Ohioana Book Festival to read more.
The Ohio Literary Trail (Presented by Ohioana Library Association)
“The Ohio Literary Trail, presented by the Ohioana Library Association, shines a spotlight on Ohio’s role in shaping culture and literature worldwide. Visitors will discover the state’s rich literary landscape through landmark destinations, historical markers that recognize literary achievements, and book festivals dedicated to readers and writers.” To view the map, visit The Ohio Literary Trail page on Ohioana.org.
Buckeye Book Fair
“The Buckeye Book Fair is one of Ohio’s foremost literary showcase events that features 100 Ohio authors, illustrators, and photographers autographing copies of their newest books. Over 1,500 Ohio writers and artists have participated in the annual Buckeye Book Fair over our 34+ years.”
Ohio Writers’ Conference
“Ohio Writers’ Conference is an annual event which is typically held in Columbus, Ohio. The conference recognizes students’ work that has been submitted and published in Kent State University’s soft-bound book of students’ original work, Beginnings. The conference includes storytellers, a keynote address, interactive workshops, and an awards luncheon.” For more information visit the Writers Conference page on Kent.edu.
Writing Groups
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Monday Night Writers (Mahoning/Trumbull/Columbiana area)
Led by author Nancy Christie, the group includes both published and unpublished writers, and affords an opportunity to give and receive feedback on works-in-progress as well as share information on writing-related subjects and member events. Meetings are held the third Monday of every month from 5 to 6:30 PM at Leana's Books & More, 4317 Kirk Rd, Youngstown. For more information, contact Nancy Christie at nancy@nancychristie.com.
Teen Writers Club
At the Green Branch Library in Akron, all teens are welcome to share their stories on the first Tuesday of every month. During the workshop, teens will “eat junk food, discuss creative writing and do some writing sprints. Please register online or by calling the library at 330.896.9074.”
YSU Creative Writing Group (Quill)
Quill is a great, informal atmosphere for writers to share and critique work. Find more information by visiting Quill's Facebook Page.
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YSU Poetry Club
An organization that offers “a safe place for all YSU students to share, read, and write poetry.” More details to come as the group becomes a Registered Student Organization. Updates will be available on Instagram @ysupoetryclub.​​​
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Book Clubs
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The Boardman Book Club meets once a month at POP! Art Books Culture in Boardman OH. In lieu of focusing on one genre or theme, The Boardman Book Club sets out to discuss books that may have been passed by, to revisit popular books and to discover books outside what our members typically read. In other words, we discuss books you would typically find at a used bookstore.
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Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh offers a detailed list of book clubs. Vew the extensive list by visiting Book Clubs Aplenty.
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JCC Susan Kanterman Book Club
In honor of Susan Kanterman, a book club in her name celebrates Jewish culture with their weekly readings. Our book club is free and open to all who want to participate. A lending library is available for current JCC members to borrow the book club books. Registration, virtual meetings, and book details can be found on the Jewish Community Center’s website.
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New Voices on Classic Science Fiction Book Club
Visible Voice Books in Cleveland hosts a book club for science fiction fans on the second Wednesday of every month. “Our goal is to have a lively discussion about interesting science fiction and fantasy books that are obscure, by marginalized authors and were controversial at the time they were written.” For more event details, check out the New Voices on Classic Science Fiction website or their Facebook page: @visiblevoicebooks.
Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County runs many book clubs throughout the year. Visit their Events page to learn more.
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Riverstone Book Club (Pittsburgh)
Riverstone is a bookstore that holds monthly book clubs and other virtual book events. More info can be found on their Events page.
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Information on upcoming events of the United Black Book Clubs of Pittsburgh can be found on their Facebook page: @ubbcpgh.
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Youngstown State University Book Club​
A student-run book club that meets on the first Wednesday of every month. A student can join anytime and find registration, virtual meetings, and book of the month details on Instagram @ysubookclub.
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Warren-Trumbull County Public Library Book Discussion Groups
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Online Adult Book Discussion Group
This live online book discussion group led by a Warren-Trumbull County Public Library librarian typically meets on the second Thursday of the month at 2 p.m. via Zoom. Call the Warren Library at (330) 399-8807 ext. 200 for upcoming books to be discussed and to register for a discussion. Free.
Online Sci-Fi & Fantasy Book Discussion Group
This live online book discussion group led by a Warren-Trumbull County Public Library librarian typically meets on the third Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. via Zoom. Call the Warren Library at (330) 399-8807 ext. 200 for upcoming books to be discussed and to register for a meeting. Free.
Open Forum Book ClubThis in-person book club typically meets on the last Wednesday of the month at 11 a.m. at the Warren SCOPE Center, 375 North Park Ave., Warren. There is no assigned title. A librarian will guide the discussion to chat about favorite books, ideas, and recommendations. Free.
Journals & Presses​
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Journals
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13 Miles from Cleveland is an international literary, art, and music online magazine that is based in Cleveland.
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Gordon Square Review
Gordon Square Review is a publication of Literary Cleveland, a nonprofit organization committed to creating a vital, diverse, and supportive literary community in Northeast Ohio.
Jenny Magazine
A production of the Youngstown State University Student Literary Arts Association
Like many struggling postindustrial cities across the country, Youngstown, Ohio is a place defined by images of ruin and rust, and there are few images more striking than that of the Jeannette Blast Furnace. “Jenny,” as plant workers called her and as Bruce Springsteen referred to her in his 1995 song “Youngstown,” was one of two furnaces located at Youngstown Sheet and Tube. It was a place where things were made, shaped, created. Here in the pages of Jenny, we aim to display some of those artifacts made by wordsmiths and visual artists alike.
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The Journal--a Lit Mag
The award-winning literary magazine of The Ohio State University, The Journal is published four times yearly and supported by the Department of English.
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The Kenyon Review has been in the heart of literature since 1939 when poet and critic John Crowe Ransom started the journal on the campus of Kenyon College.
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New Ohio Review
New Ohio Review is a national literary journal produced by Ohio University’s Creative Writing Program.
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Slippery Elm is a journal committed to promoting the best fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and visual art being created today. The journal provides educational experiences for students in editing and publishing, and represents The University of Findlay as a supporter of the arts.
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Presses
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Autumn House Press
Autumn House Press is a nonprofit, literary publisher based in Pittsburgh, PA. We publish full-length collections of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.
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BatCat Press
BatCat Press is the only high school student-run small press in the U.S. We publishes chapbooks annually, including works such as Apology to the Moon by Jim Daniels and How to Build a Coffin and Other Love Stories by Daniel Wallace. BatCat's books are all handmade and we also makes handbound journals, pins, and other assorted paper products.
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Blood Pudding Press is a one woman owned independent small press that specializes in hand-designed poetry chapbooks and other artsy little misfit offerings. The Blood Pudding Press shop can be found on Etsy.
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Bottom Dog Press / Bird Dog Publishing
We feature an Appalachian Writing Series.
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Cleveland State University Poetry Center
The Cleveland State University Poetry Center, established in 1962 to promote poetry through readings and community outreach, expanded its mission to become a nonprofit independent press in 1971.
We currently publish contemporary poetry, essays, and translations with a national distribution and reach (we are proudly distributed by Small Press Distribution).
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Publishing vital literature since 2008.
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Dos Madres Press
Dos Madres Press is dedicated to the belief that the small press is essential to the vitality of contemporary literature.
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EastOver Press
We are a new press that focuses on collections of all kinds: poetry, hybrid, stories, essays. Our goal is to treat writers with respect and to honor their work with a beautifully designed physical book, and we also pride ourselves on clear, transparent communication throughout the process.
Milk and Cake Press, based in Hamilton, Ohio, is a family-run, all-volunteer nonprofit indie press, with a DIY mentality: all editing, layout, design, distribution, promotion and marketing are done in-house. We are hands-on and collaborative in our approach to publishing.
NightBallet Press is an independent small press interested in the musicality of language and the originality of expression, with a commitment to excellence.
University of Akron Press Poetry Prize
The Akron Series in Poetry was founded to bring to the public writers who speak in original and compelling voices.
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