Key West Literary Seminar

The Key West Literary Seminar is an annual four-day literary celebration held in the historic island city of Key West, Florida. Each year, the Seminar explores a different literary theme, and in 2024, it will focus on the state of Florida itself with the theme "Florida: The State We're In."

The Seminar will feature a range of writers, including novelists, poets, historians, humorists, and cultural critics who know the Sunshine State better than anyone. They will lead attendees on a literary trek through various regions of the state, including the Panhandle, Ocala forests, the limestone archipelago of the Florida Keys, and the swamps, grasslands, concrete condos, and coral reefs that make up this ecologically vulnerable state.

The Seminar's programming includes a keynote presentation, solo readings and lectures, one-on-one interviews, larger conversations among multiple writers, and question-and-answer sessions. Attendees will also have opportunities for book signings and informal meetings with writers and other participants.

Registration for the Seminar costs $825 and includes an opening night reception with complimentary food and drink. Members of the Patrons Circle are also invited to attend a Patrons Dinner on Friday night. Additional complimentary food and drink options will be announced at a later date, and food will be available for purchase from local vendors on site.

The Seminar will take place at the Coffee Butler Amphitheater in Key West's Truman Waterfront Park, which is located 0.6 miles from Duval Street and approximately 700 feet from the entrance to Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. The main seating area is within a large, open-ended SaddleSpan tent, with additional tented areas providing shade and rain cover. Attendees can also set up a blanket or folding chair on the lawn, and food and drink are available for purchase from mobile vendors and food trucks on site.

The schedule for the Seminar includes check-in and registration on Thursday, January 11, followed by the keynote presentation and reception that evening. Programming begins again on Friday morning and continues all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with a Patrons Dinner on Friday night and a Sunset Program on Saturday evening.

While the Seminar may not solve all of Florida's problems, it provides an opportunity for attendees to engage in meaningful discussions about the state's beauty, complexities, and vulnerabilities. As Hemingway might say, it's a chance to experience Florida and its literature in all its weird, wild, and wonderful glory.

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