Beach Reading

Miami, the city of vice and Versace, conjures images of bookies rather than books, but this month the city hosts its 25th annual Miami Book Fair International, considered one of the premier literary festivals in the world. Such heavyweights as Russell Banks, Amy Tan, and Edmund White (along with about 400 other authors) are set to read and discuss their work among the palm fronds and stucco, and there will be plenty of partying along the way.

Mitchell Kaplan, owner of Books & Books and undisputed father of the city’s literary awakening, founded the fair in 1984 with Eduardo Padron, now president of Miami Dade College. “In the 60s, people around the country assumed we all lived in swank, beachfront hotels and only read deli menus, the real-estate section, and the racing form—until Mitchell Kaplan and the Book Fair,” recalls Mitch Glazer, the screenwriter and Miami native, who grew up with Kaplan.

In its aim to stay relevant, this year’s expo celebrates the graphic novel as a burgeoning form, with a commemorative Art Spiegelman (Maus) poster. And beyond showcasing new works, Kaplan adds, “it’s book fairs and independent booksellers, with their passion and sense of mission, who will ensure that the literary culture we revere will be nurtured and kept from extinction.”

CLAIRE HOWORTH