Cynthia Barnett, who appears at University of South Florida in St. Petersburg, Florida on April 5, 2025. Credit: Photo by Aaron Daye

Florida is more than just beaches and theme parks—it’s a state rich with history, quirks and untold stories, and the inaugural Florida Studies Book Festival at University of South Florida’s St. Petersburg’s campus is here to celebrate them all.

Set for this weekend at the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library, the event is an initiative of the Florida Studies Program at USF St. Petersburg, inspired in part by the uncertain future of the Tampa Bay Times Festival of Reading, which was canceled last year after the newspaper’s book editor took a buyout after 27 years on the job.

Christopher Meindl, director of the Florida Studies Program the St. Pete campus, saw an opportunity to create a literary event that highlights Florida’s unique history, environment and culture.
“This is our first and only crack at a book festival,” Meindl told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “We hope it will become an annual event, but this is the first. We initially wanted to develop an event that emphasized Florida Studies, but when the Tampa Bay Times Festival of Reading did not happen this past fall, we wanted to do something to help make up for that.”

The Florida Studies Program, an interdisciplinary initiative, brings together faculty from history, geography, political science, English and anthropology to provide a holistic understanding of Florida’s evolving identity.

Through strong community partnerships, including Florida Humanities, the Tampa Bay Estuary Program and the Florida Trail Association, the program fosters research that impacts the public discourse on Florida’s past, present and future.

A lineup of Florida writers will take the stage, covering topics as diverse as environmental conservation, political history and the state’s often bizarre cultural landscape. The writers include:

Craig Pittman Award-winning journalist and author known for his books on Florida’s environment and offbeat history.
Cynthia Barnett Environmental journalist and author specializing in Florida’s water issues.
Gary Mormino Historian and author focusing on Florida’s political and social history.
Deb Carson Florida Studies Program graduate and researcher in Florida’s cultural heritage.
Thomas Hallock USF St. Petersburg literature professor and expert in Florida literary studies (full disclosure: Hallock is also a columnist for CL).
Julie Armstrong USF St. Petersburg literature professor with a focus on environmental and cultural narratives.
Taylor Hagood Florida Atlantic University American literature professor.

Beyond showcasing Florida’s literary talent, the festival is deeply rooted in community engagement. USF St. Petersburg students will play an active role, from volunteering on-site to managing social media promotions.

For attendees, the festival is not only an opportunity to meet authors and discover new books but also a chance to learn about the Florida Studies master’s degree and graduate certificate programs.

“We hope that attendees will embrace the opportunity to learn about the rich literature associated with Florida, learn about our master’s degree and graduate certificate programs, and keep their eyes on us because we occasionally host guest lectures and other activities during each school year,” Meindl added. “We are beginning small and hope to make this a progressively larger event in the years ahead.”

With a rich lineup of speakers, deep community involvement, and a mission to make Florida’s stories more accessible, the Florida Studies Book Festival is set to be a valuable addition to the state’s literary and academic landscape.

There’s no cover for the Florida Studies Book Festival happening Saturday, April 5 at the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library on the St. Petersburg campus of USF.

Complimentary parking is available at the USF parking garage located at 250 5th Ave. S.

Readers are invited to submit their own events to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s things to do calendar.

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This article appears in Mar 27 – Apr 2, 2025.