Key West Literary Seminar postponed until 2022

Each year in January, some of the most celebrated writers in the world flock to Key West for the annual Literary Seminar, four days of conversations and readings that are attended by readers from all over the country.

But not this year.

Key West Literary Seminar’s board of directors decided this week to postpone “A Seminar Named Desire,” which had been scheduled for January 2021, for one year. It will now take place January 6–9, 2022, with writers including National Book Award winner Susan Choi, international bestseller John Irving, and Pulitzer Prize winner Jericho Brown.

“Everything that makes the seminar so special also makes it impossible during a pandemic,” says Arlo Haskell, the Seminar’s executive director, of the gathering that has marked the beginning of every year in Key West since 1983. “Hundreds of people from all over the world come together for four days of intimate conversations, sitting close to one another, sharing meals, and talking excitedly about books and ideas. We can’t do that now.”

The Seminar brings an estimated $1.5 million into the local economy each year. “This will impact a lot of people, many of whom we’ve worked with for decades,” added Haskell. “But we’ve seen the dangers of re-opening too soon. Our board made the only responsible decision possible. The health of our audience and our community are the most important thing.”

For now, the annual KWLS Workshop Program, which involves a much smaller group of participants, is still scheduled to take place this January. Haskell says additional small-group programs may be introduced as public health conditions allow.

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