The Florida College English Association holds a conference each year, where members showcase their scholarship in the fields of literary criticism, creative writing, writing pedagogy, and more.
FCEA 2026, February 20th-February 21st
The FCEA conference will begin with materials pickup and coffee 8-9 am on Friday, Feb. 20th, at the HCC Ybor City Campus. Materials pickup will be followed by sessions and a luncheon speaker. On Saturday, Feb. 21st, materials pickup and coffee will begin at 8:30 am followed by sessions and the annual FCEA Board meeting. Sessions will continue until midafternoon. An Open Mic Night will be held from 6-8pm on Friday. This venue is only a one- or two-minute walk from the conference location.
Ybor City is one of Florida’s oldest cities. Its founding is steeped in the trade of cigar making, welcoming an influx of immigrants from various backgrounds. Almost a century later, an inflow of artists who sought inexpensive studio space contributed significantly to the revival of Ybor City, followed by the development of the restaurants and night life that now beckon thousands of people every year. Ybor City is also a National Historical Landmark. Between panels, sample the city’s offerings, such as the Cigar Museum and Visitor Center or Ybor City Museum State Park. Conference attendees can also enjoy a café con leche, one of the most popular drinks in Ybor City at several establishments. Fans of music may choose to visit at least a dozen venues, including the popular Ybor City Jazz House, for live music. Most prominently, the “Ybor Speaks” Immersive Sound Installation at Centennial Park celebrates the history of Ybor, enabling visitors to experience the sights and sounds of daily life in Ybor, including selections from books by many Tampa Bay authors.
Plenary Speaker
Ann VanderMeer is an award-winning editor & anthologist. She currently serves as an acquiring editor for Reactormag.com. She was the editor-in-chief for Weird Tales, during which time she won the Hugo Award. Along with multiple other nominations, she has won a World Fantasy Award, the Locus Award and a British Fantasy Award for The Weird: A Compendium of Strange and Dark Stories. Other projects have included Best American Fantasy, three Steampunk anthologies, and a humor book, The Kosher Guide to Imaginary Animals. Her latest anthologies include The Time Traveler’s Almanac, Sisters of the Revolution, and The Bestiary, an anthology of original fiction and art, AVATARS, INC, The Big Book of Science Fiction and The Big Book of Classic Fantasy and The Big Book of Modern Fantasy.
Ann’s session, titled “The Magic of Other Languages: Reading works in Translation Can Enlarge Your World and Expand your Thinking” (or “How Studying French Saved my Sanity on a Long Book Tour”), will include personal anecdotes along with information showing how beneficial reading works in translation can be for the students and well as the reading public in general. She will also share her personal experience working with translators and writers all over the world as she has had the opportunity to publish incredible works of fiction.
Outstanding Graduate Student Writing Award
FCEA gives free conference registration and $50 cash awards to graduate students: one for the best scholarly essay, one for the best creative writing. Winners are announced at the annual conference. Any participant wishing to submit work to the contest should send a complete scholarly paper or creative piece to fceaconference@gmail.com by November 1, 2025. Please put “Outstanding Graduate Student Writing Award” in the subject line
For information on the 2026 Conference, check out:
Florida College English Association 