Literary Cleveland this week opened applications for its Breakthrough Writing Residency program to support emerging writers in Greater Cleveland.

The residency provides free yearlong mentorship, support, and opportunities to help emerging writers in Greater Cleveland develop book-length projects. The program is designed for people who have a passion for writing and a commitment to their manuscripts, but who have not yet published a book or attended an MFA writing program.

Six residents—two in each genre of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry—will work with mentors to make progress on their manuscripts, gain free access to Literary Cleveland programs, take part in professional development opportunities, and present their work at the annual Inkubator Conference. 

Last year, 113 writers applied for the six spots in the program.

This year, additional funding allows Literary Cleveland to provide the six residents will receive monthly stipends of $200 over the course of the year.

The mentors this year include fiction writer Claire McMillan (“Alchemy of a Blackbird”), nonfiction writer Athena Dixon (“The Loneliness Files”), and poet Teri Ellen Cross Davis (“a more perfect Union”).

Literary Cleveland’s Breakthrough Writing Residency first started in 2022, and the first six residents went on to publish around the country and earn several awards. The 2023-2024 residents are midway through their residency and have already been accepted to various national writers’ workshops.

Literary Cleveland hopes to support writers with low or limited income for whom advanced and long-term writing opportunities are out of reach. Writers who are members of communities historically underrepresented in the literary community are encouraged to apply.

Although MFA programs and other advanced writing opportunities exist in Northeast Ohio, many are out of reach for writers who can’t afford the costs or take the time away from jobs and families. By providing six writers each year with advanced, long-term support and mentorship, Literary Cleveland staff members hope to develop the next generation of great authors who will change the world.

The application deadline is July 29. A free information session will be held on Sunday, June 30. Email Literary Cleveland with any questions.