Cleveland is often seen as a land of opportunity—until it isn't. Winston Willis, a determined entrepreneur, seized the American dream, only to have it ripped away by the city's powerful elites. In the 1960s and 1970s, Willis became a successful businessman owning several establishments around the East 105th and Euclid area, transforming it into a vibrant hub despite facing significant racial and economic barriers. But for a Black man like Willis, prosperity was often met with fierce resistance from those who wanted to reclaim it - the city’s political and business leaders, who saw his success as a challenge to their power. 

Join Case Western Reserve University Social Justice Institute and School of Law Social Justice Law Center Director Ayesha Bell Hardaway, JD, as she speaks with Aundra Willis Carrasco, author of Winston Willis: A Memoir, to discuss her brother's legacy, the controversies surrounding his businesses, the local racism he faced, and the ongoing struggle for power within the Black community.

This event is co-sponsored by the CWRU Social Justice Institute and the Presidents' Council Business Chamber. 

Join us for an elegant, Parisian-inspired evening filled with music, fellowship, and purpose — all in support of CLE Pearls’ mission to uplift our community. Purchase tickets here.

Explore the world in your own backyard – at the 79th annual One World Day. The day features a naturalization ceremony for new U.S. citizens, a Parade of Flags, and ethnic food, music and dance in all our Cultural Gardens. One of Cleveland’s finest and most festive events. For more information, click here.

Join us for a rockin’ family event celebrating My Grandma and Grandpa Rock! by legendary duo Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo. Enjoy a lively discussion moderated by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s own Dr. Jason Hanley. Presented in partnership with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Sourcebooks Publishing and Loganberry Books. 

Free copies of the book to the first 300 attendees. 

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Step into the world of graphic novels with creators Terri Libenson and Sara Phoebe Miller and art history professor Samantha Baskind.  In this lively conversation, they’ll discuss the power of combining images and words, the influence of Jewishness, and connecting with readers through storytelling.

Terri Libenson is the creator of The Pajama Diaries and the best-selling middle-grade graphic novel series Emmie & Friends (book 9, Entirely Emmie, appeared earlier this year).

Sara Phoebe Miller is the author of the young adult graphic novel You Belong Here.  After working at DC Comics for more than a decade, she recently became the Editorial Director at BOOM! Studios.

Samantha Baskind is Distinguished Professor of Art History at Cleveland State University.  She co-edited the landmark book The Jewish Graphic Novel: Critical Approaches and is the author of six books on Jewish art and artists, including the forthcoming Moses Jacob Ezekiel: Jewish, Confederate, Expatriate Sculptor.  She also serves on the board of the Siegel and Shuster Society.

This event is co-sponsored with the Rust Belt Humanities Lab at Ursuline College

Join The City Club in learning from two Anisfield-Wolf Book Award winners, Jonathan D. S. Schroeder and Vincent Brown, as they discuss the importance of amplifying hidden narratives and what uncovering stories of resistance can teach us about today.

The annual Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards ceremony returns to the Maltz Performing Arts Center for a fourth consecutive year to honor the 2025 winners as they join the esteemed canon of America’s only juried book prize focusing on works that address racism and diversity. A reception, book sale and author signing will follow the ceremony.  Tickets are free but registration is required. A livestream option will be available for those who cannot attend in person.   

AWBA author panels, book signings and in-community events at the Cleveland Public Library – Martin Luther King Jr. Branch in the morning and various venues across Ohio City in the afternoon.

Join us for an afternoon with Samin Nosrat.

Samin is a cook, teacher, and author of the James Beard award-winning cookbook, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking. She was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World and Chef of the Year by Eater. She is the co-host of the Home Cooking podcast and host of the Netflix original documentary series based on her book Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. 

Author Jill Lepore will discuss her latest book, We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution. 

Each ticket ($35 +fees) includes a seat at the author’s talk, a copy of We the People, and a donation to the Cuyahoga County Public Library Foundation.    

Jill Lepore is the David Woods Kemper ’41 Professor of American History at Harvard University and Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. She is also a staff writer at The New Yorker. Her many books include the international bestseller, These Truths: A History of the United States. 

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John Scalzi is one of the most popular science fiction authors of his generation. His debut, Old Man’s War, won him the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. His New York Times bestsellers include The Last Colony, Fuzzy Nation, Redshirts (which won the Hugo Award for Best Novel), The Last Emperox, The Kaiju Preservation Society, and Starter Villain. Material from his blog, Whatever, has earned him two other Hugo Awards. He lives in Ohio with his wife and daughter. 

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Join us for the book launch event for Dan Chaon’s One of Us. 

Dan Chaon is the author of several books, including Ill Will, a national bestseller that was named one of the 10 best books of the year by Publishers Weekly. Other works include the short story collection Stay Awake, a finalist for the Story Prize; the national bestseller Await Your Reply; and Among the Missing, a finalist for the National Book Award. Chaon’s fiction has appeared in the Best American Short Stories, the Pushcart Prize Anthologies, and the O. Henry Collection. He has been a finalist for the National Magazine Award in Fiction and the Shirley Jackson Award, and he was the recipient of an American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Literature. Chaon lives in Cleveland. 

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Local author Marie Vibbert visits to discuss her latest novel, Andrei and the Hellcats. 

Hugo- and Nebula-nominated author Marie Vibbert’s short fiction has appeared over 90 times in top magazines like Nature, Analog, and Clarkesworld, and been translated into Czech, Chinese and Vietnamese. Her debut novel, Galactic Hellcats, was long listed by the British Science Fiction Award and her work has been called “everything science fiction should be” by the Oxford Culture Review. She also writes poetry, comics, and computer games. By day she is a computer programmer in Cleveland.

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Ian McEwan’s literary works have earned him worldwide critical acclaim. His first collection of short stories, First Love, Last Rites, won the Somerset Maugham Award in 1976. McEwan was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction numerous times before winning the award for Amsterdam in 1998. His novel, Atonement, received the WH Smith Literary Award in 2002 and was made into an Oscar-winning film featuring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy. His new book, What We Can Know, will be published on September 18, 2025. Single tickets go on sale Wednesday, September 3rd.

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The Eighth Annual Great Lakes African American Writers Conference (GLAAWC, pronounced “glossy”) features a nationally renowned author, Diane McKinney-Whetstone (the Langston Hughes Literary Keynote), and Kim Martin-Sadler (the Alice Dunbar Nelson Professional Keynote), a publishing industry expert, to share insights with authors and aspiring writers throughout the region. Accompanied by in-depth panel discussions, opportunities to network with esteemed literary minds, and be equipped with trending literary tactics, this event is a must-attend for all literary creatives and lovers of African American literature. 

Join us for our annual day-long conference where Black literary creatives are celebrated and highlighted for their work in Cleveland and beyond. Learn from influential publishing industry professionals to obtain and enhance your writing objectives.

Save the date for Saturday, Sept. 27 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Cleveland Public Library-MLK Branch! While this event is free and open to the public, Ms. McKinney-Whetsone’s latest novel, Family Spirit, will be available for purchase as a bundled ticket. Do take advantage of the bundled ticket and secure Ms. McKinney-Whetsone’s autograph during her book signing.

Also, on Friday, Sept. 26., GLAAWC, in partnership with the Case Western Reserve University English Department and the Baker-Nord Center, will host the Alice Dunbar-Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award honoring Cleveland’s own beloved and distinguished poet, Julie Patton. Additional details forthcoming.