This year is the fifth year that Keep St. Pete Lit is presenting the SunLit Festival. Here, we meet at the intersection of literature and the arts to promote St. Pete’s literary community.
This year the festival includes 24 events from April 11-28. Most of the events are free and we’ve chosen some of our favorites and highlighted them below, but check out the whole schedule on the SunLit Festival website.
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Wordier’s 1K Walk and Write (or Read)
April 14th 1:30-4:30 pm
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This event is part writing workshop, part silent read-in, part walking tour of St. Pete, and part pub crawl. Sound like the perfect day? I agree. The group travels together from The Hangar Restaurant & Flight Lounge at Albert Whitted Airport to The Ale & The Witch, stopping at various points along the way for 15 minutes of free writing.
For those who choose to read at each stop instead, bring a book! RSVP and get more details at their facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/BeharPeteranecz/photos/gm.300008387275239/2185469321716464/?type=3&theater
Baked in the Florida Sun: A Benefit for Keep St. Pete Lit
April 20th, 5:30-8:30pm (Private party at 7pm)
This event is a fundraiser in support of Keep St. Pete Lit’s Children’s Literacy Programs. This celebration of local poetry and visual art will include a sculptural installation by local artist Chad Mize and poetry readings by local poets.
In addition, there will be local literary vendors including Print St. Pete Community Letterpress, Dilly Dally’s, Tombolo Books, and Bluebird Books Bus. There will be food trucks providing snacks and Black Crow Coffee and Green Bench Brewery supplying beverages. This event is open to the public for $5 donation at the gate.
A Celebration of the Erotic
April 22nd, 7:00-9:00pm
At this event readers will present from their own erotic work as well as share pieces by other writers, followed by a panel discussion. Tombolo Books, who will be on hand selling current and classic works from the erotic lit canon. And, to keep the juicy conversation flowing, there will be a cash bar. This event is free, but only open to those over the age of 18, please.
Literary Carousel at MFA
April 25th, 6:30-8:00pm
This is the third year that the Literary Carousel will be presented through the festival. Photography from the MFA archives comes alive through the art of the “Ekphrastic,” a literary interpretation of a piece of visual art. Hand-picked images get the prose and poetry treatment, read live to you.
Join the museum for this one-of-a-kind event for those who love both literature and photography. Inspired by the experience of an old-fashioned slideshow, the Carousel series allows bay area photographers to present work before a live audience, promoting discussion and strengthening our local arts network.
The event is included with museum admission: $10 after 5 pm for non-members and free admission for members.
Florida Antiquarian Book Fair
April 26, 5:00- 9:00pm
April 27, 10:00am-5:00pm
April 28, 11:00am-4:00pm
The Florida Antiquarian Book Fair is the oldest and largest fair of its kind in the Southeastern United States and will be presented in St. Petersburg’s Historic Coliseum. The book fair features dealers specializing in books of every age and subject matter, antique maps, ephemera and other paper collectibles.
Friday evening’s admission, which includes a live music performance, is $10 and the ticket is good for the entire weekend. Saturday’s admission is $10 for the weekend or $6 for the day. Sunday’s admission is $6 for the day and includes a free appraisal by members of the Florida Bibliophile Society. Children 12 and under, and students with valid identification, are free.
Other events to note:
Downtown Tour with a Literary Twist, April 13, 10am-12pm.
Children’s Poetry Night Hike at Boyd Hill, April 13, 7pm,
SunLit Fest at Lector Social Club with Cigar City Journal Readers, April 18, 6:30-8pm.
Porch Party: Gulfport Trolley, April 19, 7-10pm.
Rob Sanders Stonewall Book Performance with Bob Devin Jones, April 27, 6-8pm.
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