Randy Wayne White, 2019 Lifetime Literary Award Winner
Randy Wayne White spent 13 years working as a full-time fishing guide out of Tarpon Bay Marina on Sanibel. He was on the water 300 days a year and had more than 3,000 paid charters when it all came to a sudden halt.
Ray Arsenault, 2019 Lifetime Literary Award Winner
Ray Arsenault’s writing chronicles a changing South, from biographies of civil rights champions to the legendary Arthur Ashe. As Ray Arsenault looks back at the trajectory of his life, one moment stands out.
Jeff Klinkenberg, 2018 Lifetime Literary Award Winner
Over the course of four decades spent talking to Floridians, asking question after question, getting his feet wet to chronicle their lives and experiences for his newspaper column, everything Jeff Klinkenberg learned came down to this: Everybody has a story.
Edna Buchanan, 2017 Lifetime Literary Award Winner
At age four I told everyone I would write books when I grew up. I was hooked on the stories my mother read to me. When she became too busy, I wandered the neighborhood, book in hand, and asked strangers to read to me.
David Kirby, 2016 Lifetime Literary Award Winner
David Kirby has been called a literary treasure of our state. This year he received the Florida Humanities Lifetime Achievement Award for Writing, the latest in a galaxy of honors he has earned during a sparkling career.
Gary Mormino, 2015 Lifetime Literary Award Winner
To fully grasp the depth of historian Gary Mormino’s research, you have to visit his home office. Just walk through the tidy St. Petersburg bungalow he shares with his wife of 46 years and climb a narrow stairway.
Janet Burroway, 2014 Lifetime Literary Award Winner
Thank goodness Janet Burroway hasn’t found time to retire. This woman of letters—writer of novels, short stories, essays, plays, and children’s books—Janet continues to delve into new genres and art forms.
Enid Shomer, 2013 Lifetime Literary Award Winner
There was a special moment this year when Enid Shomer received a standing ovation after her remarks in accepting the Florida Lifetime Achievement Award for Writing. Shomer discussed how to put a dollar sign on what the arts are “worth.”
Patrick Smith, 2012 Lifetime Literary Award Winner
He read numerous histories about Florida, but none told the human story that he wanted to tell about why people came and how they survived. So, Smith became a modern-day anthropologist, seeking out and interviewing scores of old-Florida families.
Carl Hiaasen, 2011 Lifetime Literary Award Winner
Carl Hiaasen is known internationally for his satirical novels featuring screwball characters in weird situations that could happen only in Florida. He’s been credited with almost single-handedly creating the “Florida noir” mystery genre.
