Photo courtesy of FloridaRAMA
Art aficionados and St. Pete residents have come to know FloridaRAMA as the quirky, cool, art attraction that features the work of artists and cutting edge technology as a love letter to Florida. Dedicated patrons know it for its ever expanding collection of art and as a place to see new artists.
Now, FloridaRAMA is adding another form of art to its eclectic mix: books.
The St. Petersburg attraction will host its inaugural Literary Festival from noon to 6 p.m. Aug. 22, bringing together more than 30 authors, all of whom live in the Tampa Bay area.
The festival will feature book talks, author sales, local artists, the St. Petersburg Library’s Bookmobile, and a Book Lounge offering visitors a “blind date with a book.”
FloridaRAMA CEO and founder Liz Dimmitt said the idea has been on her mind since the attraction opened in 2021.
“We always wanted to be multidisciplinary,” Dimmitt said. “So this is really the mission of FloridaRAMA and the dream coming full circle, where it’s like now we can start doing other things.”
A Celebration of Tampa Bay Writers
Dimmitt said she has long been a fan of Florida literature. In FloridaRAMA’s early days, the attraction even hosted a Florida-centric book club.
The Literary Festival takes that local focus a step further by bringing together authors from throughout Tampa Bay.
“Sometimes I think people think you have to like, go to New York or go wherever to get great arts and culture, and you know we have great authors and wonderful literature out of here,” Dimmitt said. “I’m just so excited to get all those people together and have them all in the same room hanging out together and celebrating that.”
Authors will be set up throughout the attraction to sell their books, while 11 writers will give talks every 30 minutes.
Among them is The Gabber Newspaper owner Cathy Salustri, who will discuss her books Backroads of Paradise and Florida Spectacular at 5 p.m.
Photo by Cathy Salustri
The talks begin at noon with Jeannie Carlson discussing her poetry and prose book Aland A Land. Bill DeYoung will discuss Vintage St. Pete & Pinellas Volume 4 at 1:30 p.m.
Paul Wilborn will close out the talks at 5:30 p.m. with his latest book, The Everlasting Life of Charlie Wall, about the notorious Tampa crime boss.
Coincidentally, Wall was a relative of Dimmitt’s, although she said he was the black sheep of the family.
Books, Art, and a “Blind Date” With a Book
The festival will extend beyond author talks.
The St. Petersburg Library’s Bookmobile will be on site, along with the Book Lounge, where visitors can take a “blind date with a book.”
And because the event is taking place at FloridaRAMA, art remains part of the experience.
Michelle Lopez will guide visitors in making their own pen. Other participating artists include Art by Pena, who specializes in stained glass, Bomi Art Studio, and Zenna Henna.
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Filling a Void for Local Book Lovers
The festival also arrives at a time when Tampa Bay has been without one of its longtime literary events.
The former Tampa Bay Times Festival of Reading was canceled in 2024 after decades of bringing book lovers of all ages together.
Dimmitt sees the continued enthusiasm for books as proof that literature still has a strong place in a culture increasingly dominated by screens.
“People love a book, and we have really great bookshops here that help cater to that love,” Dimmitt said.
FloridaRAMA Hopes To Make It an Annual Event
Dimmitt said FloridaRAMA hopes the Literary Festival becomes an annual event and eventually grows, potentially into a full weekend.
Judging from the festival’s sponsors, including MIDFLORIDA Credit Union, that growth may already be underway.
The event also fits with FloridaRAMA’s larger philosophy: creating the kinds of experiences its own team would want to attend.
“Sometimes we are our best customers,” Dimmitt said. “You know, I’ll go home with the most books.”
Visit the FloridaRAMA Literary Festival
FloridaRAMA, 2606 Fairfield Ave. S., St. Petersburg. 12-6 p.m. Aug. 22. Included with admission, $25-40. floridarama.art, 727-210-5450.
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