Key West Literary Seminar

Thank you to the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation, Inc. for honoring our restoration of the Elizabeth Bishop House with a 2026 Preservation Award. The Bishop Garden is now open to the public, weekdays from 10–3, as a quiet place for private reading and reflection. This summer, the House & Garden will be the main campus for our Young Writers Studio. And this fall, we'll host regular field trips and learning expeditions for local students.

Elizabeth Bishop House earns Preservation Prize The Florida Trust for Historic Preservation has announced Key West Literary Seminar’s Elizabeth Bishop House & Garden as a winner of its 2026 Florida Preservation Award.

Calling all new writers: Just about ten days left to apply for our Emerging Writer Awards - we're eager to see your work!

POETS! NOVELISTS! SHORT STORY WRITERS!

Winners of the 2027 Emerging Writer Awards will receive full tuition support for our January 2027 Seminar and Writers’ Workshop Program, round-trip airfare, lodging, a $500 honorarium, and appear on stage during the Seminar. They will be in Key West from January 3 – 11, 2027.

“My experience at KWLS after winning the EWA was absolutely incredible — it was such a gift to be able to spend time in such a generous, supportive community and explore the rich history of literature in Key West. I had the opportunity to be in a workshop with a vibrant group of writers… and read alongside my fellow award winners during the Seminar in a room full of writers I admire.” 2025 Winner, Annaka Saari

Deadline to apply is June 1st. APPLY HERE: https://www.kwls.org/awards/emerging-writer-awards/

Reminder from our friends at the Literary Arts Fund. And a heartfelt THANK YOU to all those whose charitable contributions make our work possible.

Literature is the least-supported artistic discipline in the U.S., receiving only 1.9% of the $5 billion in arts grants from foundations. This underfunding, coupled with other challenges—including rising operating and publishing costs—underscores the urgent need for increased support for the nonprofit literary arts field.

Learn more at literaryartsfund.org.

Did you know our Audio Archive holds more than 900 unique recordings by over 600 authors? Tune in and tell us your favorites! Free for all readers, all over the world.

audio archive - Key West Literary Seminar More than 500 unique presentations by the world’s most influential writers are available in our audio vault for use by educators, students, and readers worldwide. You can play many recordings immediately on our site, while others are available by request. Select a name from the index to begin, or ...

Last week, we received the Historic Florida Keys Foundation's highest honor — a Star and Certificate of Excellence for Preservation, Restoration, Rehabilitation, and New Construction for our work at the Elizabeth Bishop House & Garden.

Huge gratitude to everyone who helped us breathe new life into this national treasure: architect Dave Salay of Bender & Associates; contractor Nick Egan and the whole incredible Egan Built team; the historic window restoration crew at Austin Historical; historic shutter restoration experts Elizabeth DeVries and Richard Jaworski; George Beys and George's Plumbing; roofing by Tommy Valente and Roof Assassins; garden design by Craig Reynolds Landscape Architecture; garden install by Rob Crider and Just Keys Trees; Patrick and Billy at MEE Electric; and so many more skilled craftsmen and craftswomen who contributed their expertise, their sweat, and their care.

Thank you, above all, to our many public and private funding partners: the State of Florida Division of Historic Resources; the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners and Tourist Development Council; and the more than 215 individual donors from around the world who contributed over $3.8 million to support the acquisition, restoration, and ongoing preservation of this singular piece of American literary history.

Before and after pics by Mark Hedden.

A few spots are left in our generative poetry weekend, coming up soon!

Join us and get motivated for a joyful and creative year. You will meet Friday evening, Feb 20, as well as Saturday and Sunday, Feb 21 & 22. Cost is $440. More information in bio.