AWARDS & FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

The Key West Literary Seminar offers three annual awards to emerging writers of exceptional merit living in the United States. The Joyce Horton Johnson Fiction Award, the Marianne Russo Award, and the Scotti Merrill Memorial Award each provide full tuition to our January Seminar and Writers' Workshop Program, round-trip airfare, seven nights’ lodging, support for living expenses while in Key West, and the opportunity to appear on stage during the Seminar. In addition to these awards, we provide limited financial assistance, primarily in the form of fee reductions, to teachers, librarians, writers, and students who would otherwise not be able to attend the Seminar or Writers' Workshop Program. We may also provide discounted lodging options to a small number of applicants.

Details about the 2010-2011 application period are now available. Click here to download a .pdf file containing the complete application guidelines.

In just three years, our financial assistance program has supported more than 150 individuals with nearly $135,000 in fee waivers and lodging and travel assistance. This assistance is made possible by extraordinarily generous support from our community. We are grateful to Joyce Johnson, Peyton Evans and The Rodel Charitable Foundation-Florida, and The Dogwood Foundation for providing the endowments which will support our scholarship program for years to come; to Judy Blume's KIDS Fund for financial assistance to teachers and librarians; and to our board of directors and the many individuals whose support allows emerging writers to join the Seminar and Writers' Workshop Program each year.