Mitchell Kaplan, founder of the Miami Book Fair, will join the Sea Cloud Spirit’s Miami roundtrip voyage from March 27 to April 4, 2025, according to a press release.

Owner of Books & Books, Kaplan will lecture alongside author Les Standiford, sharing stories about Miami, the Bahamas and literary history. The voyage features stops in Eleuthera, the Exumas and Key West. Prices start at $4,815 per person for bookings made by December 20, 2024.

“Mitchell Kaplan is a fixture in the literary world and we are fortunate he has called South Florida home, making a lasting impact here in our community for decades,” said Mirell Reyes, president of Sea Cloud Cruises North America. “Mitchell is also a magnificent storyteller and longtime friend to Les Standiford and the two will share wonderful tales of Florida and The Bahamas on this memorable sailing adventure.”

A native of Miami Beach, Kaplan opened the first Books & Books in 1982 in Coral Gables, Florida, and has expanded the independent bookstore to four South Florida locations, hosting over 400 events annually. He co-founded the Miami Book Fair in 1985, serving as chair and guiding its programming. Kaplan also launched the Books & Books Literary Foundation in 2023 and co-founded The Mazur Kaplan Company to adapt books for the screen. He is also the recipient of the Literarian Award and serves on the Board of the National Coalition Against Censorship. He hosts The Literary Life podcast from Miami.

“I look forward to joining Les to talk about what’s been my passion for over forty years: the rich literary tradition of Miami, the Keys, and the islands of the Caribbean. And to be aboard a legendary Sea Cloud Cruises adventure at the same time is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, ” said Kaplan.

Standiford is a New York Times bestselling author and founder and director of the creative writing program at Florida International University. His works include Palm Beach, Mar-a-Lago, and the Rise of America’s Xanadu, detailing Palm Beach’s history and its ties to Sea Cloud owners E.F. Hutton and Marjorie Merriweather Post, as well as The Last Train to Paradise, an account of Henry Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railway, which once connected to Key West.

“Sailing the secluded waters of the Caribbean aboard this ship is like taking a trip through a fabled time,” added Standiford.