Greetings Lover of African American Literature:

Once more an entry in the Cleveland Book Week sponsored by the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards of the Cleveland Foundation, the Fifth Annual Great Lakes African American Writers Conference (GLAAWC pronounced “glossy”) takes place on Saturday, September 17, 2022. This year’s conference is hybrid. We will broadcast virtually on our website, Facebook page, and YouTube channel from our new home, which we will announce shortly.

We are champing at the bit to announce our 2022 Langston Hughes Literary Keynote Speaker and Alice Dunbar Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award Winner, but we won’t just yet. Our past literary luminaries include:

Langston Hughes Keynote Speakers:

2021 Deesha Philyaw

2020 Pearl Cleage

2019 Damon Young

2018 Tayari Jones

Alice Dunbar Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award Winners:

2020 Pearl Cleage

2019 Carl Phillips

2018 Rita Dove

Trust that this year’s notables will be just as impressive. Please submit your email below if you would like announcements and updates on GLAAWC 2022 or if you would love to become a member. We are lining up special gear and promotional items for those lovers of African American literature who wish to become members and support our work year-round.

Take care, stay safe, and happy reading!

Godspeed,