About the Florida Center for the Literary Arts:
The Florida Center for the Literary Arts at Miami Dade College promotes reading and writing throughout the year by consistently presenting high-quality literary activities open to all in South Florida.

The Center brings established and emerging writers -- from poets and novelists to playwrights and journalists -- to Miami, where they read, lecture, participate in discussions and teach workshops. Many of these guests stay for extended periods. As writers-in-residence , they work with students and diverse members of the community, helping to deepen their understanding of literature and encouraging the work of writers at all stages of development.

Since its first season, the Center's programs have explored themes as varied as women's writing, the interplay between image and text that is found in graphic novels, the literature of the Caribbean, the literature of the gay and lesbian experience, civil liberties, the melding of Spanish and English and its effect on American culture, the ethics of nonfiction and journalism, and much more. The Giving Voice to Women Residency and Lecture Series, brought Sonia Sánchez and Francine Prose as well as four other established contemporary women writers to Miami for week-long residencies. The Center's focus on the Caribbean has involved authors Edwidge Danticat, Merle Collins and Zoé Valdés among others, while nonfiction books and journalism have been discussed by Samuel G. Freedman, Jorge Ramos and Mirta Ojito.

The Center's monthly reading series, Spoken Word Café, presents some of these visiting authors, but also emphasizes the work of Florida writers. Spoken Word Café evenings end with live performances by South Florida singer/songwriters and musicians. The Center's literacy-focused initiatives, One Book, One Community ; One Picture Book, One Community ; First Readers ; Read Together. Florida ; El Club de Lectores ; and CitiBooks , encourage an appreciation for books with the goal of fostering dialogue in the community and enhancing the reading skills of children and adults.

Every year, the Center publishes collections of work by visiting writers, as well as Beginnings , a literary journal that showcases the work of new
writers, including young adults and children.

Miami Book Fair International , the largest and finest event of its kind in the U.S., is the most visible of the Center's endeavors. For more than 22 years, the Fair has been held over eight days each November. In addition to readings by more than 300 authors from all over the world and the sale of thousands of books in many languages, the Fair offers book-centered fun for children, as well as panel discussions and writing classes in English and
Spanish.

Writing classes and workshops are also scheduled each spring during the Writers Institute . Four days of in-depth analysis of what makes good poetry, fiction, nonfiction and theater are complemented by readings and festive gatherings.

The Florida Center for the Literary Arts envisions South Florida as a nexus of literary activity in the Americas and beyond, and will continue to champion its mission of promoting the advancement and appreciation of the literary arts in all forms.

About the Florida Center for the Book:
In 1984, Broward County Library celebrated its tenth year, a decade filled with both tremendous growth and enormous challenges. Broward County Library was coming into its own, expanding physically and increasing its access and services to even more members of the community. Now it was time to increase Broward County Library's visibility on South Florida's - and the national - literary scene.

Thus the idea for Florida Center for the Book was born. Former Florida Center for the Book Director Jean Trebbi pursued the idea for a center - the first center developed outside of the Library of Congress - that would celebrate the literary heritage of Florida, bring readers and writers together, and to promote books, reading and libraries. Since then, Centers for the Book have been developed in all 50 states and the District of Colombia.

The original Center for the Book was established in 1977 in Washington D.C.'s Library of Congress as a focal point for promoting the legacy of books and the printed word. Outside of the library, the center works closely with other organizations to foster understanding of reading, books, and literacy in society. On behalf of books, the Center for the Book serves as an advocate, a catalyst and a source of ideas, both nationally and internationally.

Located at the Broward County Main Library, Florida Center for the Book strives to bring enriching literary experiences to readers throughout Florida through various avenues, including linking networks of individuals and organizations interested in books as well as developing and presenting a wide range of literary programs. In the years since its inception, The Florida Center for the Book has offered a dazzling array of presentations including:

Letters About Literature Writing Contest, a national contest that invites students to write to an author and explain how the authors' book changed the student's life.
Evenings with the Author, where nationally renowned authors discuss their work with readers in a casual setting.
Writers Workshops for fiction, non-fiction, poetry and more.
National Poetry Month Celebrations, held each April
One Book One Broward Community-Wide Reading Project, with readers throughout Broward County sharing the experience of reading and discussing Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie, including a personal appearance by the author.
Florida Literary Landmarks, seventeen important Florida literary sites designated by the Friends of Libraries U.S.A., many of which are sponsored by Florida Center for the Book.
Along with these in-house programs, Florida Center for the Book has free traveling exhibits that can be borrowed. The two current exhibits are

Hemingway in Florida and Cuba, a 16-panel framed exhibit that features photographs of Hemingway's life from 1929 to 1960, illustrated with text highlighting key events of this time.
Tennessee Williams Retrospective, a 16-panel exhibit highlighting the life and work of Tennessee Williams through text and photographs.
Additionally, Florida Center for the Book has published the guide Florida Literary Landmarks as well as other books, both in partnership with the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress and the State Library of Florida.

For more information on Florida Center for the Book's current programs, or for details on traveling exhibits, call 954-357-7404.