International Imitation Hemingway Competition

By: © Nelson Taylor 2008

Festival Location: Century City, CA, USA

Festival State: Californian Festivals

Festival Type(s): Impersonators Conventions, Fan Coventions, Bizarre Festivals

Known as the Bad Hemingway in more erudite circles, this annual writing contest hopes to produce the best piece of Hemingway mockery the world has to offer. The only rules are that the writing sample must be no longer than one page, it must mention Harry's Bar & American Grill (Hemingway's favorite Italian watering hole), and it must sound and read like Hemingway while being side-achingly funny.

The annual deadline for entry is in February, and the winners are released in March at...where else but Harry's Bar & Grill in Century City, CA. Tickets for this dinner and awards ceremony are a whopping $125. A recent winner, Maxine Nunes, penned a Hemingway-meets-Lewinsky saucefest titled "Across the Potomac and Into Her Pants." Her prize? An all expenses paid trip for two to Harry's Bar in Florence. Bon appétit.