Toni Morrison’s work reached the world, but her story began in Ohio.
Beginning February 18, 2026, Ohio will launch a yearlong, statewide celebration honoring the life, work, and legacy of Toni Morrison. The celebration runs through February 18, 2027, marking Morrison’s birthday and inviting Ohioans to spend an entire year reading, reflecting, and talking about one of the most important writers in American history.
The project is led by Literary Cleveland in partnership with Ohio Humanities, the Ohioana Library Association, and the Toni Morrison Society. It’s ambitious, deeply thoughtful, and designed to reach readers across the state, including a strong lineup of events right here in Central Ohio.
Why this year matters
The timing is no accident. In 2026, the United States marks its 250th anniversary, a moment that naturally calls for reflection. Few writers have explored the full sweep of American history as powerfully as Morrison. Across eleven novels, she traces the country’s story from the late 1600s through the early 2000s, centering voices and experiences too often pushed to the margins.
Her work grapples with memory, race, trauma, beauty, love, and home. These are not abstract ideas. They are lived realities, and Morrison’s writing asks readers to sit with them honestly and collectively.
That belief, that literature can help us understand one another more fully, is at the heart of this celebration.
Ohio is written into her work
Born in Lorain on February 18, 1931, Morrison never severed her connection to Ohio. Her debut novel, The Bluest Eye, is set in Lorain. Sula unfolds in the fictional town of Medallion, Ohio. Beloved, her most widely taught and celebrated novel, is set in Cincinnati.
Even when her stories move elsewhere, Ohio remains the imaginative starting point. Morrison once said that no matter where her work is set, it always begins “on the lip of Lake Erie.”
This statewide celebration brings that connection home.
A kickoff in Columbus, and events all year long
The celebration officially begins in Columbus on February 18, 2026, with a kickoff event held on what would have been Morrison’s 95th birthday. While the in-person event is not open to the public, it will be livestreamed, making it accessible to readers across the state.
From there, programming fans out across Ohio. Libraries, schools, cultural organizations, and community groups will host book clubs, readings, workshops, performances, and conversations inspired by Morrison’s work. In Central Ohio alone, events range from library book discussions to film screenings and writing workshops, with more being added throughout the year.
The goal is simple but expansive: meet people where they are. Longtime Morrison readers, first-timers, students, families, writers, and curious neighbors are all part of the audience.
Central Ohio events happening in February
- February 12: The Bluest Eye Book Club at Granville Public Library, a free discussion for adult readers focused on Morrison’s debut novel.
- February 15: Toni Morrison Celebration at Bexley Public Library, a reading featuring local artists, authors, and light refreshments.
- February 18: Beloved (1998) Screening at Pickerington Public Library, a free film screening based on Morrison’s novel.
Reading through American history together
One of the most compelling pieces of the celebration is a statewide reading plan that follows Morrison’s novels in the order they are set in history, not the order they were published.
Over the course of 2026 and early 2027, readers will move from A Mercy, set in the 1680s, through Beloved, Sula, Jazz, and beyond, ending with God Help the Child in the 2000s. Each month focuses on a different novel and historical moment, with discussions and programming designed to add context and spark conversation.
It’s part book club, part shared history lesson, and part reminder that literature can help us better understand how we got here.
How to get involved
You don’t need a syllabus or a background in literary studies to take part. Showing up is enough.
Events across the state will be listed in one central online calendar, along with reading guides, discussion prompts, and multimedia resources for anyone who wants to go deeper. Organizations can also submit their own programs to be part of the official celebration.
At its core, this yearlong effort is about honoring a legendary Ohioan by engaging with her work in the community. Not quietly, not academically, and not from a distance, but together.
For more info, head over to ohiocelebratestonimorrison.org.
