Authors

Calling all Ohio authors, poets, and illustrators!

Ohioana is proud to collect, preserve, and celebrate Ohio authors, poets, illustrators, and aspiring writers and creators! Read below to see how Ohioana can support and collaborate with you as an Ohio author, poet, or illustrator.

Book Launches

Ohioana Library helped out with a book launch this year, partnering with the National Veterans Memorial and Museum this year, and we had a ball! If you would like Ohioana Library to partner with you for an upcoming book launch, please reach out to our Director at kkiehl@ohioana.org. We can help out with with promotion and spreading the word about your upcoming book and launch. Feel free to reach out with any questions.

Get Your Books in Our Collection

Ohioana Library is a special collections library, specializing in collecting the works of authors and illustrators from and living in Ohio. We are an archive, so our collection does not circulate. Our library's purpose is to preserve these works for generations to come. We would be honored to have your book(s) in our collection! The process is simple, we ask that you donate your book(s) to us, by mailing them to our library at this address: Ohioana Library, 274 E. First Ave., Suite #300, Columbus, OH 43201.

Apply to the 2026 Ohioana Book Festival

The 2026 Ohioana Book Festival will include author and illustrator panel discussions, family friendly activities, food trucks, a book fair, the chance to explore Ohioana Library, and more! The 2026 Ohioana Book Festival will take place at the State Library of Ohio on April 18, 2026. Applications are now open! In addition to completing the online form, we ask that you donate 2 of your books to complete your application, so that our author selection committee will be able to review the books up for the festival. After review, the books will be added to our archival library collection. Find more information and apply here.

Nominate Your Book for the 2026 Ohio Book Awards

Established in 1942, the Ohio Book Awards recognize Ohio authors and illustrators for outstanding books published each calendar year in the categories of Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Young Adult Literature, Middle Grade Literature, Juvenile Literature, and Book about Ohio or an Ohioan (which may include books by non-Ohio authors or illustrators). Click here for the nomination form and more information about eligibility. Nomination forms must be postmarked by December 31, 2025, to be considered for the 2027 Awards. And YES, you may absolutely nominate yourself!

Come celebrate the 2025 Ohio Book Award winners with us at the Ohio Statehouse on October 15. It will be a night to remember! Find more info and get tickets here.

Upcoming Writers' Group & Workshop Series

Ohioana is starting a FREE writers' group and workshop series with the one and only Diane Callahan, a developmental editor, writer of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, and host of the YouTube writing advice channel Quotidian Writer. 
We could not be more excited about this group and series! The first group meeting will be on Monday, September 15 at 6-8pm at the Ohioana Library at 274 E. First Ave #300, Columbus, OH 43201. On the 15th, the workshop series will begin with a session on "How to Find Your Narrative Voice." RSVP HERE
Here is the full list of dates (all Mondays from 6-8pm at the same location indicated above):
September 15: Writing Workshop How to Find Your Narrative Voice
September 22: Meeting 1
October 6: Meeting 2
October 20: Meeting 3
November 3: Meeting 4
November 17: Meeting 5
December 1: Meeting 6

Author Profiles

Ohio’s rich literary heritage is evidenced by many of the authors who have called it home, including novelists Sherwood Anderson, Louis Bromfield, Zane Grey, and Harriet Beecher Stowe; poets Rita Dove, Paul Laurence Dunbar, and Nikki Giovanni; and children’s writers Mildred Wirt Benson (Carolyn Keene), Lois Lenski, Margaret Peterson Haddix, Robert McCloskey, and R.L. Stine. Ohioana creates "author profiles" on our website's database linked below, and we would be happy to create you one! This database is not comprehensive, as we create profiles when authors reach out asking for one. If you would like an author profile on the database linked below, please fill out this survey, and send an email to ohioana@ohioana.org to let us know you've completed the form.

Ohio Author Profiles