Elizabeth George: “I write about the dark to make sense of things. I look for answers to the whys of life in its most extreme moments.” Photo by Nick Doll.John Banville, aka Benjamin Black: “There are just good books and books that are not so good. If I had my way, bookstores would be ordered completely alphabetically. There would be no crime section, no literary fiction section.”Lee Child: “Something hardwired in the human brain loves fear, danger, and peril, especially when we know it will all work out OK.” Photo by Nick Doll.Lisa Unger: “Darkness is everywhere if you’re looking for it. And I’m definitely looking for it.” Photo by Nick Doll.Percival Everett: “Starting to write a novel is like knowingly entering a bad marriage. I try to make myself smarter by writing my novels.” Photo by Nick Doll.
Otto Penzler, founder of the Mysterious Press and New York’s Mysterious Bookshop talked about his “life of crime.” Photo by Nick Doll.
Malla Nunn: Photo by Nick Doll.
Michael Connelly and Alafair Burke joined Michael Koryta for a panel discussion about the creative process. Photo by Nick Doll.Laughter in the crowd. Photo by Nick Doll.Elizabeth George and Sara Gran. Photo by Nick Doll.Otto Penzler and Thomas H. Cook at a book signing in the San Carlos Institute. Photo by Nick Doll.Lewis Weinstein poses a question to Elizabeth George from the audience. Photo by Nick Doll.Laughter on the dark side. Photo by Nick Doll.Lyndsay Faye, Sara Gran, Elizabeth George, and Gabriel Lehrer at the opening night party at the John James Audubon House.
Key West Literary Seminar welcomes readers and writers to this subtropical island city. Our flagship program is the annual Seminar, a four-day event that explores a unique literary theme each January, where readers from around the world enjoy presentations by some of the best writers of our time. In our Writers’ Workshop Program, also in January, writers of all levels meet in small groups with esteemed faculty to share their work and explore the craft of writing. A Scholarship Program reduces fees for teachers and librarians and recognizes the work of outstanding emerging writers. Exclusive recordings from the Seminar spanning thirty years are available in the Audio Archive, while our online journal, Littoral, features news, essays, photographs, and other resources that document Key West’s rich literary history.
A diversity of life thrives in the littoral zone — a thin strip of coastline between high and low watermarks. As the operating metaphor for our online journal, it refers to that part of Key West routinely overrun by the tide of literature and to the rich life of letters in this island city. Here you’ll find event coverage from our team of writers and photographers; news and updates about upcoming opportunities; and rare images from historic collections, interviews, and all manner of report from Key West’s life of letters.