The house where Ernest Hemingway lived for the last two decades of his life was located in the San Francisco de Paula district of Havana, about 24 km from the city center.
It was here that Hemingway wrote two of his most famous novels: For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea.
Even though he had a dedicated writing room built into the house, Hemingway preferred to work in the bedroom. It was a bright, cozy place filled with his favorite things—books, personal treasures, and letters were scattered everywhere.
In this article, we’ll explore:
How Hemingway made his bedroom the perfect place to write.
Why the objects in his room were important to him.
How he stayed on track with his writing every day.
… and more
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The Bedroom as a Writing Space
“The room is divided into two alcoves by a pair of chest-high bookcases that stand out into the room at right angles from opposite walls. A large and low double-bed dominates one section, over-sized slippers and loafers neatly arranged at the foot, the two bedside tables at the head piled seven-high with books.
In the other alcove stands a massive flat-top desk with two chairs at either side, its surface an ordered clutter of papers and mementos. Beyond it, at the far end of the room, is an armoire with a leopard skin draped across the top.”
Even though Ernest Hemingway had a special writing space in the tower of his house, he liked to write in his bedroom. It was bright and comfortable.
He kept the door slightly open, using a book about airplane engines to hold it.
In the sunny mornings in Havana, natural light filled the room. With his belongings scattered around him, Hemingway turned this regular space into a writer’s sanctuary.
“It is on the top of one of these cluttered bookcases that Hemingway has his work-desk”
“It is on the top of one of these cluttered bookcases—the one against the wall by the east window and three feet or so from his bed—that Hemingway has his “work-desk”—a square foot of cramped area hemmed in by books on one side and on the other by a newspaper-covered heap of papers, manuscripts, and pamphlets. There is just enough space left on top of the bookcase for a typewriter, surmounted by a wooden reading-board, five or six pencils, and a chunk of copper ore to weight down papers when the wind blows in from the east window.”
Hemingway’s workspace was more than just a spot for writing; it was filled with items that meant something to him.
His “work-desk” was a small space on top of a bookcase, surrounded by bullfight magazines, books, and personal treasures.
It looked messy, but within that chaos, Hemingway found a way to stay organized. His typewriter was always ready to go when he was inspired to write.
This environment reflected his life and the stories that inspired him.
He keeps track of his daily progress on a large chart made out of the side of a cardboard
The numbers on the chart showing the daily output of words differ from 450, 575, 462, 1250, to 512, the higher figures on days Hemingway puts in extra work so he won’t feel guilty spending the following day fishing on the Gulf Stream.”
Hemingway kept a close eye on his writing. In his bedroom, a cardboard chart showed his daily word counts, ranging from 450 to as high as 1,250 words. This helped him see his progress.
It also made it easier for him to enjoy his fishing trips, as he balanced his love for adventure with his writing. He was very committed to being consistent and holding himself accountable.
“A man of habit, Hemingway does not use the perfectly suitable desk in the other alcove.”
Though it allows more space for writing, it too has its miscellany: stacks of letters, a stuffed toy lion of the type sold in Broadway nighteries, a small burlap bag full of carnivore teeth, shotgun shells, a shoehorn; wood carvings of lion, rhino, two zebras, and a wart-hog—these last set in a neat row across the surface of the desk—and, of course, books…
One bookcase top has an odd assortment of mementos: a giraffe made of wood beads, a little cast-iron turtle, tiny models of a locomotive, two jeeps and a Venetian gondola, a toy bear with a key in its back, a monkey carrying a pair of cymbals, a miniature guitar, and a little tin model of a U.S. Navy biplane (one wheel missing) resting awry on a circular straw placemat—the quality of the collection that of the odds-and-ends which turn up in a shoebox at the back of a small boy’s closet…
It is evident, though, that these tokens have their value, just as three buffalo horns Hemingway keeps in his bedroom have a value dependent not on size but because during the acquiring of them things went badly in the bush which ultimately turned out well. ‘It cheers me up to look at them,’ Hemingway says.”
The bedroom was not just a place to work—it was filled with things that meant a lot to him. From wooden animals to buffalo horns, Hemingway surrounded himself with objects that had personal stories. These items were more than just decoration; they reminded him of the challenges he had faced and gave him comfort.
Hemingway didn’t often talk about his beliefs about luck and superstitions. He felt that discussing them could lessen their importance, just like how he viewed his writing process. He believed that overthinking his craft could cause problems, so he preferred to let his work speak for itself.
“It cheers me up to look at them,” Hemingway said, talking about the buffalo horns in his room.
Books piled everywhere—on the desk, beside tables, jamming the shelves in indiscriminate order
“…novels, histories, collections of poetry, drama, essays. A look at their titles shows their variety. On the shelf opposite Hemingway’s knee as he stands up to his “work-desk” are:
Virginia Woolf’s The Common Reader,
Ben Ames Williams’ House Divided,
The Partisan Reader,
Charles A. Beard’s The Republic,
Tarle’s Napoleon’s Invasion of Russia,
How Young You Look by one Peggy Wood,
Alden Brooks’s Shakespeare and the Dyer’s Hand,
Baldwin’s African Hunting,
T. S. Eliot’s Collected Poems,
and two books on General Custer’s fall at the battle of the Little Big Horn.”
Hemingway's dedication to his craft is clearly seen in his yellow-tiled bedroom, where he turns a simple space into a special place for writing.
His desk may look messy, but it helps him stay creative and get his work done. The personal items around him, like wooden animals and buffalo horns, remind him of his life experiences and challenges.
Through his routine and his space, Hemingway shows how important it is to have a personal place that helps with creativity and focus.
Source: Hemmingway’s 1958 Paris Review interview
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