Miami Book Fair International

The Miami Book Fair is an annual street fair and literary festival organized by Miami Dade College. The weeklong gathering attracts more than 300 national and international authors every year and features pavilions for comics, children, and young adults, among others.

History
Miami Book Fair International, originally known as "Books by the Bay," was founded in 1984 by Miami-Dade College President, Eduardo J. Padrón; Books & Books owner, Mitchell Kaplan; Craig Pollock of BookWorks; and other local bookstore owners in cooperation with the Miami-Dade Public Library System. The two primary organizers of the inaugural 1984 Book Fair from the Miami-Dade Public Library System were Head of Community Relations Margarita Cano and Wolfsonian campus librarian Juanita Johnson.

In 2020, the book fair added virtual content.

Florida Center for the Literary Arts (FCLA)
The Florida Center for the Literary Arts is the parent organization of the Miami Book Fair International. The literary center was conceived to advance the College's literary traditions. A permanent endowment was established with a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Full programming began in January 2002.

As a department of Miami Dade College, FCLA generates programs to support authors and writing, journalism, play and screen writing, reading and literacy as well as the Miami Book Fair International. Outreach consist of reading campaigns and book discussions, writing workshops, author presentations, panel discussions, and master classes. The Center collaborates with a number of Florida-based cultural institutions and other partners in order to advance literary initiatives. The Center reflects of Miami Dade College's commitment to inspire anyone attuned to the world of literature.

Festival of Authors
Typically more than 300 authors from around the world take part in the Fair's international Festival of Authors. Writers come from all over the United States, and in previous years, the Fair has welcomed authors from countries like Argentina, Bosnia, Brazil, Canada, China, Cuba, Dominican Republic, England, France, Finland, Guatemala, Haiti, Hong Kong, Israel, Ireland, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, Trinidad, and other nations.

Evenings With...Series
The Evenings With… Series features readings by world-renowned writers every evening for six consecutive festival days. In past years, guest authors have included recipients of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, Casa de las Americas Prize, Pushcart Prize, O'Henry Award, National Magazine Award, Commonwealth Prize, MacArthur Fellowship and Edgar Award.

Street Fair
The three-day outdoor festival gathers hundreds of booksellers and exhibitors from major publishing houses, small presses, scholarly imprints and foreign publishers. Sellers of used books including signed first editions, original manuscripts and other collectibles also have booths. Millions of books in multiple languages can be found, with book signings and musical entertainment rounding out weekend Fair activity.

Comix Galaxy
Comic Galaxy is a Fair program offering information on graphic novels and the comics world and celebrates their place in United States literary life, as well as their recent rise in popularity and integration into mainstream literature, culture and even education. A prominent part of Comic Galaxy, The School of Comics, is a day-long program that includes six sessions for teachers, librarians, parents and others who are interested in the format. There also exists special training for creators of the genre.

Children's Alley
Children's Alley tailored for young readers, features storytelling, puppets, theatrical performances, educational games, and hands-on activities. Generation Genius is a program hosting thousands of school-aged children each year. As a part of Generation Genius programming, Miami Book Fair International also offers workshops and presentations to local teachers, librarians, and educators. Programs are provided in cooperation with Miami Art Museum, HistoryMiami, Miami Children's Museum, Miami Science Museum, Early Learning Coalition of Miami Dade/Monroe, and Florida Blue.

Ibero-American Authors
Ibero-American Authors is Miami Book Fair International's Spanish Language author program that is presented solely in Spanish or Portuguese. More than 50 authors from various Latin American countries are featured during the eight-days of the Fair. Readings take place every evening during the week and all day during the weekend.

Twilight Tastings and the Kitchen
Miami Book Fair International also includes as part of its list of events hors d-oeuvres, a complimentary cocktails and nightly entertainment before the weeknight author presentations. The Kitchen combines cooking demonstrations and author readings by featured cookbook authors and chefs in an intimate, culinary setting as they recreate recipes from their books.

LGBTQ+ Topics
Authors writing on LGBTQ+ topics are represented throughout the festival with titles in fiction, nonfiction, memoir and erotica. Many who appear are Lambda Award winners or finalists.

Miami Writer's Institute
Center for Literature and Theatre faculty, authors, and agents provide workshops pertaining to fiction, nonfiction, poetry, publishing. The Center offers one and three-day workshops, with several taking place in Spanish as well.

2014
In 2014, the Miami Book Fair International partnered with the National Book Foundation, to provide programming centered around 2014 National Book Award nominees and winners. A sampling of additional authors appearing at Miami Book Fair International 2014 follows: Eveline Pierre "The Secret to Winning Big"
 * Robert Baer – "The Perfect Kill: 21 Laws for Assassins"
 * Richard Blanco – "The Prince of Los Cocuyos: A Miami Childhood"
 * John Cleese – "So Anyway..."
 * Andy Cohen – "The Andy Cohen Diaries: A Deep Look At A Shallow Year"
 * Michael DeForge – "Ant Colony"
 * Angela DiTerlizzi – "Some Bugs"
 * Tony DiTerlizzi – "Star Wars: The Adventures of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight"
 * Sheila E – "The Beat of My Own Drum: A Memoir"
 * Grace Ellis – "Lumberjanes"
 * Annabelle Gurwitch – "See You Made An Effort: Compliments, Indignities, and Survival Stories from the Edge of 50"
 * James W. Hall – "The Big Finish: A Thorn Novel"
 * Ben Hatke – "The Return of Zita the Spacegirl"
 * Kazu Kibuishi – "Amulet"
 * Nicholas Kristof – "A Path Appears"
 * Norman Lear – "Even This I Get To Experience"
 * Brad Meltzer – "I Am Rosa Parks"
 * Lauren Miller – "Free to Fall"
 * Susan Minot – "Thirty Girls: A Novel"
 * George O'Connor – "If I Had A Raptor"
 * Lauren Oliver – "Rooms: A Novel"
 * Ann Patchett – "This is the Story of a Happy Marriage"
 * Ed Piskor – "Hip Hop Family Tree Vol 2: 1981-1983"
 * Valerie Plame – "Burned"
 * Questlove – "The World According to Questlove"
 * Anne Rice – "Prince Lestat: The Vampire Chronicles"
 * Tavis Smiley – "Death of a King: The Real Story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Final Year"
 * Raina Telgemeier – "Sisters"
 * John Waters – "Carsick: John Waters Hitchhikes Across America"
 * Cornel West – "Black Prophetic Fire"

2013
To commemorate 500 years since Juan Ponce de León first landed in Florida, the 30th edition of the Fair celebrated the culture and literature of Spain. Spanish writers and artists shared the language, culture and literature of Spain. A sampling of authors who appeared at Miami Book Fair International 2013 follows:
 * Jeff Abbott – Downfall
 * Mitch Albom – The First Phone Call from Heaven: A Novel
 * Reza Aslan – Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth
 * Paul Auster – Report From the Interior
 * Holly Black – Doll Bones
 * Stanley Crouch – Kansas City Lighting: The Rise and Times of Charlie Parker
 * Kwame Dawes – Duppy Conqueror: New and Selected Poems
 * Delia Ephron – Sister Mother Husband Dog: Etc.
 * Ana Fuentes – From the Dragon's Mouth: Ten True Stories That Reveal the True China
 * Nikki Giovanni – Chasing Utopia: A Hybrid
 * Doris Kearns Goodwin – The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism
 * Dr. Carl Hart – High Price: A Neuroscientist's Journey of Self-Discovery That Challenges Everything You Know About Drugs and Society
 * John Heilemann – Double Down: Game Change 2012
 * Anjelica Huston – A Story Lately Told: Coming of Age in Ireland, London and New York
 * Andrew Kaufman – I'm in Miami, Bitch!: The Disappearing Street Art of Wynwood
 * Gordon Korman – The Hypnotists: Book 1
 * Diane Ladd – A Bad Afternoon for a Piece of Cake: A Collection of Ten Short Stories
 * Wally Lamb – We Are Water: A Novel
 * Adam Mansbach – The Dead Run
 * Chris Matthews – Tip and the Gipper: When Politics Worked
 * D.T. Max – Every Love Story Is a Ghost Story: A Life of David Foster Wallace
 * Terry McMillan – Who Asked You?
 * Brad Meltzer – History Decoded: The 10 Greatest Conspiracies of All Time
 * David N. Meyer – The Bee Gees: The Biography
 * Jacquelyn Mitchard – What We Saw at Night

2012
The featured country of 2012's Miami Book Fair International was Paraguay. Paraguayan culture was displayed through film, dance, and fine and folkloric arts.

A sampling of authors who appeared at Miami Book Fair International 2012 follows:
 * Martin Amis – Lionel Asbo: State of England
 * Nate Berkus – The Things That Matter
 * Justin Cronin – The Twelve
 * Aline Crumb – Drawn Together: The Collected Works of Aline & R. Crumb
 * Andre Debus III – Townie: A Memoir
 * Junot Diaz – This is How You Lose Her
 * Emma Donoghue – Room
 * Tim Dorsey – Pineapple Grenade
 * Carolina Garcia-Aguilera – Magnolia
 * Chris Hayes – Twilight of the Elites: America After Meritocracy
 * Mark Helprin – In Sunlight and In Shadow
 * Jamal Joseph – Panther Baby: A Life of Rebellion & Reinvention
 * Daniel Kirk – Library Mouse: A Museum Adventure
 * Anne Lamott – Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers
 * Jessica Martinez – The Space Between Us
 * Diana McCaulay – Huracan
 * Andrew McCarthy – The Longest Way Home
 * Christopher Pike – Witch World
 * Bill O'Reilly – Killing Kennedy
 * Lemony Snicket – A Series of Unfortunate Events
 * Jake Tapper – The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor
 * Jeffrey Toobin – The Oath: The Obama White House and the Supreme Court
 * Irvine Welsh – Skagboys
 * Sherri Winston – President of the Whole Fifth Grade
 * Tom Wolfe – Back to Blood

2011
Miami Book Fair International 2011 included demonstrations of Chinese culture and art, and discussions of social issues facing contemporary China. An international symposium on Chinese language, culture, and communication was held.

A sampling of authors who participated in Miami Book Fair International 2011 follows:
 * Dr. Arthur Agatston – The South Beach Wake-Up Call
 * Tom Angleberger – Darth Paper Strikes Back
 * David Brooks – The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement
 * Dan Clowes – The Death-Ray
 * John Connolly – The Infernals
 * Bob Edwards – My Life in Radio
 * Jeffrey Eugenides – The Marriage Plot
 * Cristina García – Dreams of Significant Girls
 * Dr. Paul George – Florida's 11th Circuit Court
 * Lev Grossman – The Magician King
 * Sandra Gutierrez – The New Southern-Latino Table
 * Ellen Hopkins – Perfect
 * Jeff Kinney – Diary of a Wimpy Kid
 * Megan McDonald – Judy Moody, Girl Detective
 * Michael Moore – Here Comes Trouble
 * Elizabeth Nunez – Boundaries
 * Susan Orlean – Rin Tin Tin
 * Chuck Palahniuk – Damned
 * Christopher Paolini – Inheritance
 * Karen Russell – Swamplandia!
 * Esmeralda Santiago – Conquistadora
 * Jon Scieszka – SPHDZ Book 3
 * Touré – Post Blackness
 * Calvin Trillin – Quite Enough of Calvin Trillin
 * Belle Yang – Forget Sorrow: An Ancestral Tale

2010
For the first time this year, the fair dedicated its international space to one country, Mexico, in celebration of the bicentennial of the Central American nation's independence and the centennial of its 1910 revolution. Featured were literary feasts served as fiestas, with author presentations and roundtables on subjects such as Mexican boleros. Ballet performances, art and photography exhibitions, a movie series and theater performances also honored the country of Mexico.

The following is a sampling of authors who participated in Miami Book Fair International 2010 activities:
 * Maha Akhtar – La Nieta de la Maharaní
 * Kim Anthony – Unfavorable Odds
 * Dan Archer – The Honduran Coup: A Graphic History
 * Ann Beattie – The New Yorker Stories
 * Susanna Daniel – Stiltsville
 * Edwidge Danticat – Create Dangerously: Immigrant Artists at Work
 * Kate DiCamillo – Bink & Gollie
 * Tony DiTerlizzi – The Search for Wondla
 * Dave Eggers – Zeitoun
 * Jonathan Franzen – Freedom
 * Willie Geist – American Freak Show: The Completely Fabricated Stories of Our New National Treasures
 * James W. Hall – Silencer
 * Vicki Hendricks – Florida Gothic Stories
 * Sebastian Junger – War
 * Chip Kidd – Shazam!
 * Hari Kunzru – Writing on the Edge: Great Contemporary Writers on the Frontline of Crisis
 * Meghan McCain – Dirty Sexy Politics
 * Ben Mezrich – The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook
 * Walter Mosley – The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey
 * Beatriz Rivera – When a Tree Falls
 * Scott Turow – Innocent
 * Lisa Unger – Fragile
 * Judith Viorst – Lulu and the Brontosaurus
 * Scott Westerfeld – Behemoth
 * Simon Winchester – The Atlantic: Biography of an Ocean

2009
Environmental issues were in the forefront of Miami Book Fair International 2009, from author presentations to green activities to making ecologically sound choices in Fair logistics. The college used native plants on stages, as well as entrances. These natives were then planted in the community to help offset the carbon emissions of the book fair. Miami Book Fair International and MDC's Earth Ethics Institute procured the plants from local nursery. Bike Valet parking service was available to each cyclist, and numerous rethink, reduce, reuse, and recycle educational programs were promoted.

The following is a sampling of authors who appeared at Miami Book Fair International 2009:
 * Lidia Bastianich – Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy
 * Edna Buchanan – The Corpse Had a Familiar Face
 * Meg Cabot – Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls
 * Susie Essman – What Would Susie Say?
 * Dan Goldman – 08: A Graphic Diary of the Campaign Trail
 * Al Gore – Our Choice
 * Senator Bob Graham – America: The Owner's Manual
 * Heather Graham – Unhallowed Ground
 * James Grippando – Intent to Kill
 * Dr. Sanjay Gupta – Cheating Death
 * John Hodgman – More Information Than You Require
 * Gwen Ifill – The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama
 * Sid Jacobson – Che: A Graphic Biography
 * Wally Lamb – Wishin' and Hopin'
 * Peter Lerangis – The 39 Clues
 * Jonathan Lethem – Chronic City
 * Tao Lin – Shoplifting from American Apparel
 * Jeff Lindsay – Dexter By Design
 * Ralph Nader – Only the Super Rich Can Save Us
 * Joyce Carol Oates – Little Bird of Heaven
 * Iggy Pop – The Stooges: An Authorized and Illustrated Story
 * Sherman Alexie – War Dances
 * Luis Alberto Urrea – Into the Beautiful North: A Novel
 * Larry Wilmore – I'd Rather We Got Casinos and Other Black Thoughts