Special Events and Trips

Creative Writing Students form bonds that begin in the classroom and last a lifetime. Coming from all over the United States and from many other countries, our students enjoy traveling abroad and exploring local literary hot spots nearby.

Eckerd College Writers' Conference - Writers in Paradise

Visiting writers

Writers of distinction come to Eckerd College to offer readings and workshops. A list of recent visitors includes Carl Hiaasen, Julianna Baggott, David Yoo, Stephen King, Laura Lippman, Mark Bowden, Ann Hood, and Michael Steinberg.

The Hemingway Hike

Writing students often travel to the Hemingway house where the descendants of his cats still roam. Roughly seven hours away by car, the trip to Key West has been a source of inspiration for many and a new-found motivation to continue writing.

Cross Creek

Join the thousands who visit the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings State Historic site each year. See the land that inspired the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Yearling and the highly praised, Cross Creek.

Annual Zora Neale Hurston Festival of the Arts and Humanities

Visit Eatonville and surrounding parts in Orange County, Florida. The festival includes guided tours, lectures, a street festival of arts, film screenings, and so much more.

Miami Book Fair Miami Dade College

The Miami Book Fair

Held annually in downtown Miami, this event features a week of evening readings in mid-November and culminates with a street fair and readings for every reader’s taste. Downtown Miami is lined with books and this makes the four hour drive worth it.