How to Run with the Bulls

Before you run with the bulls, understand why anyone would run in the first place. In 1926, The Sun Also Rises brought Pamplona and the San Fermín festival to the world stage. But reading Hemingway alone is one thing. Exploring it with context, conversation, and lived experience with a veteran San Fermin bull runner and professor is another. The Running of the Bulls Book Club is an 8-week guided literary journey through Ernest Hemingway’s iconic novel, designed to deepen your understanding of San Fermín, its Encierro (bull run), its bullfights, and the cultural traditions that still shape the festival today. Led by Dr. Bill Hillmann -- veteran bull runner, author of The Old Neighborhood and Mozos: A Decade Running With the Bulls of Spain, and Chicago Golden Gloves boxing champion -- this book club will be equal parts entertaining and informing. Details

• April - May 2026
• 8 weekly Sunday evening sessions (1 hour)
• Live via Google Classroom
• Engage online with your fellow travelers and create friendships before actually meeting in Spain.
• Receive a unique San Fermín Pañuelo (neck scarf) and Certificate of Completion

Whether you’re preparing to travel to Pamplona or simply want to engage with one of the most important novels of the 20th century, this course offers a thoughtful, accessible, and immersive experience.