THE HEMINGWAY DAYS FESTIVAL

Since 1981, Hemingway family members, scholars, aficionados, writers, and native "conchs" have gathered in Key West to celebrate Ernest Hemingway's July 21st birthday with a week-long celebration. What was once a three-day party originating from Sloppy Joe's Bar, Hemingway's favorite watering hole, has expanded into a celebration that combines fun educational events and is recognized by Vacations magazine as one of North America's 10 best summer festivals.

That first year, Michael Whalton, head bartender for Sloppy Joe's and now festival director, organized a celebration including the now-famous Hemingway Look-Alike Competition, a street fair, and a running with the bulls that remains the festival's only flop. "Only because we had people dressed up in bull costumes running through the streets in 100-degree weather," Whalton jokes. He also met Ernest's only brother, Leicester, that first year. Leicester offered to help with the celebration, and he and Hemingway's granddaughter, Lorian, agreed to judge the first Hemingway Short Story Contest. The first contest drew 36 local entries. Now, still coordinated by writer Lorian Hemingway, it draws about a thousand entries from across the U.S. and abroad. And what was once a local bar party has turned into an event that draws an average of 10,000 people from all over the world, with photos of the winner of the celebrated Look-Alike Competition appearing world-wide. Although most of the events celebrate the robust nature of Key West's favorite son, the writer everyone simply called "Papa," one event--the storytelling competition--honors the late and legendary tale-teller Leicester, and is coordinated by his daughter, Anne Hemingway.

The literary side of the festival expanded in 1986 when Whalton asked Clockwatch Review to produce a special issue to coincide with the 1986 celebration. Two years later he asked editor Plath to direct a literary seminar on Hemingway, and in 1989 a writers' workshop was added, held upstairs at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, with 36 writers attending. Several years later a Young Writers' Scholarship was added to help would-be writers and college-bound high school seniors.

In 1991, the Hemingway Days Festival decided to honor a contemporary writer whose life's work reflects the spirit of Key West--individualism, daring, and a tolerance of many lifestyles and philosophies. James Dickey was the first recipient of the Conch Republic Prize for Literature, followed by John Updike, Peter Matthiessen, and Russell Banks. In 1995 more readings were added, along with a First Novel Competition begun and still coordinated by writer Hillary Hemingway.

There are many celebratory festivals and many literary events, but Hemingway Days remains the only one to combine the two effectively. Case in point? The newest addition to the festival line-up: guided walking tours of Hemingway's Key West led by Hemingway look-alikes who can't help but ham it up along the way and suggest that everyone stop in for a drink at "my favorite saloon, Sloppy Joe's bar," or to dally near the Sunset Pier at the Ocean Key House, festival headquarters during the July celebration. As one of last year's attendees observed, where else could you go to see over a hundred Hemingway look-alikes roaming the streets [and competing in festival events for the coveted bullhorns presented to the winner of the Hemingway Aficionado Award]. And if you want to calculate if you can afford to join in the '97 fun, one of the festival sponsors, American Express, has a website where you can calculate your assets and net worth!

1997 Hemingway Days Festival Schedule

1997 Hemingway Days Writers' Workshop & Conference

Guidelines--Hemingway Days literary competitions (short story, first novel, young writers)