Changes
Added internal links
West Florida Literary Federation (WFLF) was founded 1986 in Pensacola as an all-volunteer organization with a nonprofit (501c-3) status. WFLF is focused on the literary arts, and partners with and assists other community organizations to promote literary efforts through frequent programs, workshops, awards and other related activities. The community organization has an office and library on the second floor of the *[[Pensacola Cultural Center]].
For nearly three decades, WFLF has sponsored literary programs for Northwest Florida. Early on, in 1989, Ron Cannon and Leonard Temme, who was later named poet laureate, conceived of and carried out a 24-hour poetry reading marathon in Seville Square. Poets and poetry lovers from across the region read their favorite work or their own poems through the night and into late afternoon the following day. The event, held over the Fourth of July Weekend, was covered by CNN.
To celebrate its 25th anniversary, WFLF hosted popular “Wild Woman” poet Judyth Hill for a four-day series of events, including open mic readings, two workshops and a keynote address at the closing banquet. In 2013, WFLF partnered with the African-American Heritage Society and Florida Humanities Council to bring poet-performer Kwame Dawes to Pensacola.
In 1986, the same year the U.S. Library of Congress named the first poet laureate, WFLF named its first poet laureate. The honor has been held by Adelia Rosasco-Soule, Leonard Temme, Mary Hood, Laurie O’Brien, Henry Langhorne and Juliet DeMarko. Jamey Jones is the current poet laureate*[[Poet Laureate of Northwest Florida]].
WFLF publications, along with a special collection of works of local and regional authors and writing reference works, are housed in the Dr. Francis Patrick Cassidy Literary Resource Center. Located in the Pensacola Cultural Center, the library also serves as the office of WFLF and provides space for writing workshops. WFLF has publishes ''Emerald Coast Review'', a biannual collection of work submitted by local writers, artists and poets. ECR provides a record of the area’s literary thought over the years. The Federation newsletter, ''The Legend'', first compiled and edited by Ora Wills and Ellen Pepler, has continued for 25 years as an outlet for promoting and expressing literature. The current editor is Andrea Walker.