HERE IN FLORIDA

TERESA DOVALPAGE’s Last Seen in Havana: A Havana Mystery is the story of a Cuban American woman who returns to Havana to care for her ailing grandmother and rekindles the search for her long-lost mother. In DARA LEVAN’s It Could Be Worse: A Novel, when a surprising discovery in a piano bench reveals a shocking family secret, a woman with a charmed life questions everything she thought she knew about the people who raised her.…

In the alt-culture scene of 1980s Miami, artists, music makers, and scenesters mixed in the few party and cultural spaces the city offered, creating multidisciplinary events we thought of as “just parties and shows.” During that decade, more and more creatives settled in Miami, joining the natives who’d kickstarted it all in the grittier parts of South Beach, the Design District, and other neighborhoods west. By the time Hurricane Andrew hit in ’92, Miami was already entering its 2.0 cultural phase and heading toward what it is today,…

In All the Places We Love Have Been Left in Ruins, ARIEL FRANCISCO mourns a Miami already ruined by climate change and development, and weaves an elegy to a city in existential limbo. JEN KARETNICK’s Inheritance with a High Error Rate considers how the Floridian landscape itself is both mind and body, bearing witness to catastrophe, endurance, and the many ways we nourish hope like a habit. The Winter Dance Party: Poems, 1983-2023 spans DAVID KIRBY’s career,…

Some say our paths are laid out by fate, but three young adventurers rise to the challenge to chart their own course. In RUTH BEHAR’s Across So Many Seas, while on a family vacation to Spain, Paloma retraces four generations of Jewish women as they travel across Europe, Cuba, and Miami to flee persecution and find opportunity. In Not Nothing by GAYLE FORMAN, 12-year-old Alex is stuck volunteering at a retirement home over the summer,…

A wildlife conservation legend affectionately hailed as the “Snakeman of India,” ROMULUS WHITAKER has had a lifelong love affair with the “fierce creatures” that share our planet. Snakes, Drugs and Rock ’n’ Roll: My Early Years is the first volume of his memoir and brings to life the India of the 1950s and the U.S. of the ’60s, co-written with his wife, columnist and author JANAKI LENIN. Joining them are conservationist NAIA HANNAH HAAST and biologist JOE WASILEWSKI of the nonprofit King Cobra Conservancy;…

GINA MARÍA BALIBRERA’s The Volcano Daughters: A Novel introduces Graciela, a young Indigenous girl who meets the sister she never knew, who has been claimed as an oracle for a rising dictator. When genocide strikes, they believe each other to be dead and escape across the globe, reinventing themselves until fate reunites them. Inspired by true events, JOY CASTRO’s One Brilliant Flame: A Novel follows six young friends in late 1800s Key West, Florida, during the height of the cigar industry.…

S.K. ALI’s Fledgling: The Keeper’s Records of Revolution explores what an Upper Earth princess is to do when she agrees to an arranged marriage to prevent civil war, gets kidnapped by Lower Earth freedom fighters, and then falls in love with one of them. SUSAN DENNARD concludes her pulse-pounding Luminaries trilogy with The Whispering Night, in which Winnie Wednesday’s loyalty comes into question as secrets about her family and a masked Diana are revealed against the backdrop of the Nightmare Masquerade.…

Relics of the Heart: Stories of My Family is an exciting journey through the memories and experiences of OSCAR FUENTES’ family. Fuentes, “The Biscayne Poet,” weaves real, emotional remembrances, from simple to significant – sharing a meal, celebrating a birth, enjoying a vacation, facing the complexities of Alzheimer’s disease – that capture the essence of family life and the importance of the emotional ties that unite us. Joining him is blues musician and storyteller UNCLE SCOTCHY,…

The House on G Street: A Cuban Family Saga tells Cuba’s story through the lens of LISANDRO PÉREZ’s own family: the tales of two officers who fought for Cuban independence; a plantation owner who smuggled himself onto a ship; families divided by politics; an orphaned boy who went on to amass a fortune; a fatal lovest triangle; and the ever-growing presence of the U.S. Moderated by MICHAEL J. BUSTAMANTE, PH.D., director of the Cuban studies program at the University of Miami’s College of Arts &…

JUAN CHIPOCO has built a hospitality juggernaut in South Florida, where he arrived as an immigrant with a dream. His success is no surprise – his work ethic and passion for creating authentic yet modern Peruvian cuisine has resulted in restaurants that delight the palate and help create charmed experiences for all guests. In Juan Chipoco: The Brand Behind the Brand, written by Josefina Barrón, Chipoco breaks down his formula for success, but also introduces his latest venture, the Juan Chipoco Foundation.…

KATHIE KLARREICH founded the Miami-based prison writing nonprofit Exchange for Change in 2014, after a 24-year career as a journalist. Don’t Shake the Spoon: A Journal of Prison Writing is a collection of Exchange for Change students’ stories, poems, and essays. Joining Klarreich are contributors to the anthology, JORGE CUESTA, WENDY HINSHAW, and MARIE PETIT-LOUIS.…

CESAR BECERRA’s The Kaimiloa Project is the story of Medford “Med” Ross Kellum, who in 1924 was already an old man by the standards of the day. But ever since he first stood on the Key West piers as a child, he’d dreamed of following the great schooners to see unknown islands and cross vast seas. And he set off to do just that. Jewish Miami Beach, written by PAUL S. GEORGE, PH.D., and HENRY GREEN,…

Join the Academy of American Poets for a 90th anniversary reading and conversation featuring JOY CASTRO and CARLIE HOFFMAN, highlighting questions of national identity, migration, displacement, and belonging. Castro offers readers an intimate glimpse into the history of early 20th-century Cuban émigré society in Key West through Tears and Flowers: A Poet of Migration in Old Key West, a bilingual edition of Feliciano Castro’s poetry. Hoffman’s When There Was Light maps out a topography across Eastern Europe and America where global movements of diaspora and war live alongside personal reckonings,…

In ANDREW BORYGA’s Victim: A Novel, college student Javi is trying to escape a troubled past: a murdered drug dealer father, a struggling mother, and an incarcerated best friend. When a viral essay turns him into a rising star, his best friend, now free from prison, must play along with Javi’s carefully crafted new identity before the truth threatens to ruin everything. ASHA ELIAS’ Pink Glass Houses: A Novel is the story of the elite world of PTA moms at Miami Beach’s most coveted elementary school.…

In LAURA DROSDOWECH’s Magical Miami, Zoe and Zen’s awesome adventure begins in Wynwood and takes them through Miami’s most notable neighborhoods. They meet a flamingo driving an ice cream truck, hitch a ride on an alligator, swim with a manatee, take the trolley with a celebrity cucaracha, and meet a famous graffiti artist, all while learning some Miami lingo in both English and Spanish. Grades pre–K to 2…

The poems in Bound by JUBI ARRIOLA-HEADLEY seek to carve a space in the world for Blackness and queerness that isn’t defined by trauma or lack, where Black and queer folks can create and conjure the worlds they want to live and love in. In Mammal: Sacrifice Is Not a Virtue, ANA MARÍA CABALLERO examines how one’s desire to view the self as in control opposes one’s many emotional hungers and the animalistic need for survival. Grounded in Vermont’s nature and lush with questions and incantations,…

Miami Book Fair’s own inaugural Emerging Writer Fellow in Poetry GABRIEL RAMIREZ (2021) returns to the Magic City with his debut poetry collection, If Pit Bulls Had a God, It’d Be a Pit Bull, which examines how violent prejudices can be met with and redirected by a holy tenderness. After two years of artistic silence, Bluff is DANEZ SMITH’s powerful reckoning with their role and responsibility as a poet in the wake of the pandemic and protest following the murder of George Floyd in their hometown of the Twin Cities.…

In Building Material: The Memoir of a Park Avenue Doorman, STEPHEN BRUNO writes about life as a sentinel of a high-end residential building. There are class matters, hilarity, and drama as he learns the dos and don’ts and witnesses the antics behind the front entrance. FIROOZEH DUMAS’ Sob is a one-hour audio story about grief, healing, and miracles. With her signature wit, she recounts her personal journey through this uncharted and unplanned chapter, one that led to a deeper truth about herself.…

In LAURA VAN DEN BERG’s State of Paradise: A Novel, a ghostwriter for a famous thriller author is living in her mother’s small-town Florida home, tracking ominous and eerie changes. Contending with family secrets, spotty memories of her troubled youth, a burgeoning cult in the living room, and her suddenly missing sister, she begins to investigate the emerging connections between a shadowy corporation, her boss, and reality itself. In KENT WASCOM’s The Great State of West Florida,…

In Tampa Bay: The Story of an Estuary and Its People, EVAN P. BENNETT explores the environmental history of Florida’s largest open-water estuary – the focus of modern environmental struggles and action. In Florida Springs: From Geography to Politics and Restoration, CHRIS MEINDL offers a clear and comprehensive overview of the geography, history, science, and politics of the 1,000-plus freshwater springs in the state, and the issues they’re currently facing. And in IAN WILSON-NAVARRO’s Dry Tortugas: Stronghold of Nature,…

Join us for a poetry reading and conversation on the role of the localized poet laureate in service to the community. DIANNELY ANTIGUA (Portsmouth, New Hampshire) grapples with the body as a site of pain and trauma in Good Monster, chronicling her reckoning with shame, her fallout with faith, and the desire to feel pleasure in an inhospitable body. Love Prodigal by TRACI BRIMHALL (Kansas) lives in the dishevelment of starting over from a divorce and a new diagnosis,…

Four young adult authors discuss how love can form under pressure or flare up with passion. The daughter of a proud Cuban family bakery enters a competition to pay the bills with help from the son of a rival Cuban bakery in Guava and Grudges, the slow-burn (or bake) enemies-to-lovers novel by ALEXIS CASTELLANOS. Tensions rise in LAURA TAYLOR NAMEY’s With Love, Echo Park as the two last surviving Cuban family businesses in an L.A.…

In Fall: A Detective Harriet Foster Thriller, TRACY CLARK weaves a twisted journey into the underbelly of Chicago as the detective and her team work to unmask a serial killer stalking the city’s aldermen. When two are found dead – one by apparent suicide, one from a brutal stabbing – she must determine who has a debt to pay before the killer strikes again. In JAMES GRIPPANDO’s Goodbye Girl: A Jack Swyteck Novel, the protagonist’s latest legal client,…

TERESA DOVALPAGE presenta un volumen de cuentos en el que los personajes viajan en avión, en transatlántico, por las brumas del plano astral y hasta en el tiempo; PEDRO MEDINA LEÓN ofrece un verdadero noir tropical cuyo protagonista debe resolver un crimen cometido en South Beach, y LUIS ALEJANDRO ORDÓÑEZ llega con una obra polifónica que muestra el carácter elusivo de la verdad y es un rompecabezas donde cada pieza encaja de tal forma que cambia el conjunto.…

With The Precipice, Miami-based biomedical photographer ANTONIO “TONY” CHIRINOS threads the needle between the delicate, often brutal world of surgical intervention. Organized in three sections – surgical photographs of living subjects, exquisitely photographed tools, and the journey to the afterlife – the book is a celebration of life and an unflinching observation of what follows. Buy The Precipice. – Chirinos…

Raped at a young age, BROOK BELLO ran away from her broken family only to be forced into drug addiction and the world of human trafficking. In Shame Undone: A Memoir, she writes about turning her torment into a force for healing and education. Bello is the founder of More Too Life foundation, which provides opportunities to turn “victims to survivors, survivors to thrivers, and thrivers into champions.” In the fight to attack human trafficking, MTL provides care to its victims and prevention to those on the fringe.…

OCTAVIA YEARWOOD’s How The Hell Did You Do That?! is an interactive journey meant to facilitate self-healing. Sharing stories from her troubled childhood and past, she provides inspiration to those seeking it. Joining her in conversation are CHRIS ADAMO, a founding partner of Flamingo Capital, and STUART SHELDON, co-host of the Swan Dive podcast. This session is part of the Transformational Deep Dives with Chris Adamo and Stuart Sheldon series. Buy How The Hell Did You Do That?!…

In JAMES GRIPPANDO‘s Code 6: A Novel, aspiring playwright Kate Gamble is secretly writing about the dark side of Big Data. But she’s the daughter of the CEO of a private data integration company whose clients include the CIA and virtually every counterterrorism organization in the Western World. And in DWYER MURPHY’s The Stolen Coast: A Novel, adrift in a sleepy coastal Massachusetts town, a man who ferries fugitives by day gets twisted up in a plot to pilfer diamonds.…

After growing up in a tough Washington, D.C., neighborhood, CHRIS WILSON killed a man in self-defense and was sentenced to life in prison. The Master Plan: My Journey from Life in Prison to a Life of Purpose is his unforgettable story of self-improvement – reading, learning languages, even starting a business – and early release from jail. Joining him in conversation is CHRIS ADAMO, a founding partner of Flamingo Capital. This session is part of the Transformational Deep Dives with Chris Adamo and Stuart Sheldon series.…

PATRICIA ENGEL‘s The Faraway World: Stories is a collection of 10 short stories set across the Americas and linked by migration, sacrifice, moral compromise, and the cost of leaving – and staying. In When the Hibiscus Falls: Stories, M. EVELINA GALANG examines the triumphs and sorrows connecting generations of women and the complexity of family, community, and Filipino American identity. CRISTINA GARCÍA’s Vanishing Maps: A Novel tracks four generations of the del Pino family against the tumultuous backdrops of Cuba,…

Different viewpoints of the Magic City emerge with ANDREW OTAZO’s The Miami Creation Myth – which offers modern legends that explain, celebrate, and lampoon what makes Miami a globally unique metropolis – and Waterproof: Evidence of a Miami Worth Remembering, edited and with an introduction by MARIO ALEJANDRO ARIZA. It’s a collection of micro-elegies to Miami places in which Miamians were asked, “What will you miss when Miami is gone?” Their answers: 197 pieces from 165 writers and artists,…

Labeled: Ward of the State: A Memoir is KENISHA E. ANTHONY’s powerful story of an abandoned child of drug-addicted parents and Florida’s broken child welfare system, who went on to earn graduate degrees and become an advocate for change. Moderating is LANITA PATTON, consumer business strategist. Buy Labeled: Ward of the State: A Memoir. – Anthony Sponsored by…

In The Guardians of Art: Conversations with Major Collectors, DANI LEVINAS brings together the most outstanding names in contemporary art collecting, discussing the motivations behind their drive to collect and how they share their passion for art with the broader public. Moderating is author and chair of the O, Miami Poetry festival, TOM HEALY. Buy The Guardians of Art: Conversations with Major Collectors. – Levinas Sponsored by …

In A Kids Book About Blockchain, HAROLD HUGHES asks readers, “What if I told you that someday, you’ll use blockchain everywhere? You’ll use it in school, playing your favorite video game, when you buy something, even when you make art!” fostering curiosity and conceptual discussion of the evolving technology. Moderating is journalist JEFF CARVALHO, co-host of the Culture Club Show podcast.  This session is part of the Transformational Deep Dives with Chris Adamo and Stuart Sheldon series.…

Filmmakers DUDLEY ALEXIS and FRANTZ VOLTAIRE, entrepreneur and influencer KAROLL-ANN FANFAN, and actor GENJI JACQUES discuss the history and evolution of Haitian filmmaking, from its nascent stages to contemporary masterpieces. Highlighting some of the most iconic Haitian productions, the panelists will underscore their cultural significance and influence on Haitian identity. In English and Haitian Creole   Sponsored by       With Thanks to Media Partners…

In Nightlife Lessons: How I Conquered the Business of Partying with Tech and a Glimpse into Its Future, SHANE NEMAN blends his passion for partying and nose for technology into a multimillion-dollar cocktail. In MICHAEL SAYMAN’s App Kid: How a Child of Immigrants Grabbed a Piece of the American Dream, the story of how he went from second-generation Latino immigrant to 13-year-old coder to successful entrepreneur unfolds. And in The Bad Bitch Business Bible: 10 Commandments to Break Free of Good Girl Brainwashing and Take Charge of Your Body,…

In 1964, Beatlemania exploded in the United States as the Fab Four appeared live on The Ed Sullivan Show and toured the country. On that visit, The Beatles spent more time in Florida than anywhere else. In Good Day Sunshine State: How the Beatles Rocked Florida, BOB KEALING explores the band’s influence on the people and culture of the state. Joining him in conversation is radio personality JOE JOHNSON, host of the nationally syndicated “Beatle Brunch” show.…

Travel deep into the heart of Caribbean literature with voices from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Haiti. Engage with CLAIRE JIMÉNEZ, What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez: A Novel, RAUL PALMA, A Haunting in Hialeah Gardens: A Novel, MICKI BERTHELOT MORENCY, The Island Sisters: A Novel, and PATRICIA SAUNDERS, Buyers Beware: Insurgency and Consumption in Caribbean Popular Culture, as they explore the diverse narratives, histories, and cultural complexities of their respective homelands.…

In Gator Country: Deception, Danger, and Alligators in the Everglades, REBECCA RENNER tells the true story of the larger-than-life characters behind the underground operation of alligator poaching, a tale of the fight against poverty and the risks people will take to survive. In Agents of Chaos: Thomas King Forcade, High Times, and the Paranoid End of the 1970s, SEAN HOWE explores the life and times of the founder of High Times, an underground newspaper editor and marijuana kingpin who battled both the United States government and fellow radicals.…

In Punk Under the Sun: ’80s Punk and New Wave in South Florida, CHRIS POTASH and JOEY SEEMAN chronicle the alternative music, art, and club scenes in South Florida during the 1980s. They document the bands, venues, galleries, and scenesters who started and sustained the groundswell of activity that made Miami a progressive mecca and the international cultural destination it is today. Joining them are music and culture photographer JILL KAHN, and Open Records record label co-founder LESLIE WIMMER.…

Explore the evocative tapestry of Haiti as we journey through its history and culture, and the profound stories of its women. Join distinguished authors MICKI BERTHELOT MORENCY, The Island Sisters: A Novel, MYRIAM J. A. CHANCY, Harvesting Haiti: Reflections on Unnatural Disasters, EDWIDGE DANTICAT, Everything Inside: Stories, and DR. SOLANGES VIVENS, Girls Can Move Mountains: Rewriting the Rules of Female Entrepreneurship, as they discuss the role of literature in capturing the essence of Haitian life.…

In Wild Florida: An Animal Odyssey, KIRSTEN HINES provides a captivating visual and narrative journey into the ecology of the state’s animals. JACKI LEVINE’s Once Upon a Time in Florida: Stories of Life in the Land of Promises is an anthology of 50 intriguing stories of life in the Sunshine State by some of the nation’s most acclaimed writers and scholars. Buy Wild Florida: An Animal Odyssey. – Hines Buy Once Upon a Time in Florida: Stories of Life in the Land of Promises.…

With the images in Candids Miami 2, a follow-up of Candids Miami (2019), MANNY HERNANDEZ captures Miami’s celebrity-driven tipping point of the 1990s. As a social photographer, he documented the city’s partying ways and its boldface name-obsessed ethos, but also its rise into cultural significance. Buy Candids Miami 2. – Hernandez    …