Teachers and librarians are the vanguard of literary culture. Each day they welcome new members to the community of readers, curate resources that reveal the histories of our cities and families, foster discussions about important literary works, and encourage the development of new voices in American literature. We recognize a …Read More

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We are delighted to announce the selection of Cricket Desmarais as the recipient of our inaugural Liz Lear Scholarship. Introduced this year, the annual award recognizes a Florida Keys resident who is passionate about the written word. The Lear Scholarship provides the recipient with full tuition to the seminar and/or …Read More

We are pleased to present the winners of our 2015 Seminar Emerging Writer Awards: JAY DESHPANDE Scotti Merrill Award selected by Billy Collins Merrill Award winner Jay Deshpande writes: “When I’m writing these days, what I’m most desirous of is that something be at stake. All that matters is that …Read More

In a dramatic first for the Key West Literary Seminar, opening night of “How the Light Gets In: Literature of the Spirit” (January 8-11, 2015) will feature a marquee musical performance by the Paul Winter Consort. Following a brief keynote address by Pico Iyer, the Consort will take the stage …Read More

Marilyn Nelson has confirmed that she will join our faculty for the 2015 Writers’ Workshop Program. A three-time finalist for the National Book Award and winner of the Newbery and Coretta Scott King honors, Nelson joins us for the first time in Key West, where she will also appear as …Read More