Tue 4/21-Sat 4/25

Literary Cleveland’s another Cleveland Poetry Festival is back, sponsored by Mac’s Backs books in Coventry Village, for five days of honoring rhythm, rhyme and imagery. Its 2026 theme is “Language as Liberation,” based on a recently published book of  lectures by Lorain, oho -born Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison.

“Throughout the festival, we will explore the liberatory potentialities of poetry, literary community, and creative writing that across social and cultural lines as we incorporate the themes and ethics of Toni Morrison’s biography and art into our own work,” they promise.

The festival begins on Tuesday April 21 at 7pm with a virtual workshop called “To Fly Is the Risk,” led by Ohio poet-educator Felicia Zamora. On Wednesday April 22 at 7pm, a second virtual workshop led by Philadelhia-based Palestinian-American poet Ahmad Almallah will address “Working with Stereotypes.” Participants will study excerpts from Morrison’s Playing in the Dark to explore how poems can challenge stereotypes. The last virtual workshop on Thursday April 21 at 7pm is called “The Poetry Ringer.” Scott Woods will lead the group in creating, drafting and editing poems through what’s described as “genre-bending edits.”

The festival goes live on Friday April 24 at 7-9pm, with a free reading at the Heights Theatre in Coventry Village by some of this area’s most prominent poets, including Mary Weems, Kisha Nicole Foster, Stephanie Ginese, Ray McNiece, George Bilgere, Philip Metres and Dave Lucas.

And on Saturday April 25 from 10:30am-5pm, the poetry festival will celebrate Independent Bookstore Day with a free poetry crawl taking participants to independent bookstores across the city. The final event is a free reading by Scott Woods, followed by an open mic, at Ohio City’s Visible Voice Bookstore.

Go here for more information.

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