Award Recognizes Outstanding Narrative Skill, and Stories Relevant to Current Events at Multi-day Festival Featuring 200+ Authors, Poets, and Creatives Discussing the Art of Storytelling
1455 Literary Arts, an organization committed to advancing the art and craft of storytelling, today announced that it will award journalist, television personality and author Lisa Ling with its second annual 1455 Storyteller of the Year Award. The selection committee unanimously chose Ling as the recipient for her diverse and wide-ranging career, as well as her extensive storytelling capabilities across multiple platforms. Ling will be presented with this honor following a conversation with Sean Murphy during 1455’s Summer Literary Festival, which runs via virtual platform July 15-17, 2021.
The 1455 Storyteller of the Year Award is given to a writer for storytelling that epitomizes not only outstanding narrative skills, but is particularly relevant to current events. Ling is the award-winning journalist, host and executive producer of CNN’s This is Life with Lisa Ling, currently in its eighth season. The docuseries offers a gritty journey to the far corners of the U.S., and follows Ling as she travels across the country telling stories of communities that are unknown or misunderstood, providing insight into some of the most unconventional segments of society. Ling also hosts and produces Birth, Wedding, Funeral, a travel docuseries for HBO Max which reveals the cultures of different countries through stories and rituals surrounding the universal events of births, weddings, and funerals. Ling announced in 2021 that she will launch Take Out, a six-part docuseries on HBO Max that seeks to shine a light on the diverse communities and stories behind America’s Asian food scene.
“We have so many examples of the deeply polarized world in which we live; I’m constantly seeking opportunities to bring us closer to one another through stories about universally defining moments and shared experiences,” stated Ling. “I’m so honored to have my work recognized by 1455 and to be named Storyteller of the Year, as I firmly believe in the transformative power of storytelling, which allows us to unveil the heart of every human in each story we tell, and to touch the heart of every person who has the capacity to listen.”
Ling’s storytelling first talent rose to prominence with her 2011 book, Somewhere Inside: One Sister’s Captivity in North Korea and the Other’s Fight to Bring Her Home. The book, co-written by Ling and her sister Laura, conveys the electrifying story of Laura Ling’s capture by the North Koreans in March 2009 and the efforts of her sister Lisa to secure her release with the assistance of former president Bill Clinton. It includes the behind-the-scenes account of the first-ever trial of an American in North Korea’s highest court.
“We are both proud and honored to present this year’s 1455 Storytelling Award to Lisa Ling. Her celebrated career speaks for itself, but during a year of disruption and uncertainty, Lisa epitomizes why the best storytellers instruct and inspire, and are so integral to society,” said Sean Murphy, Executive Director of 1455. “Lisa is the perfect accompaniment to our festival’s spectacular assortment of important voices, from well-known novelists, poets, artists, to up-and-coming creatives spanning the globe. Once again this year, 1455 is dedicated to presenting a truly inclusive event that will celebrate the vital art of storytelling as a force for good in this world.”
This year’s 1455 Summer Festival will focus on the power of storytelling and the crucial role it plays not only in creative and academic fields, but far beyond. The gathering is a rare opportunity for participants to learn from some of today’s most celebrated, diverse, and up-and-coming storytellers, who bring their unique perspectives to timely issues affecting our culture such as politics, race relations, sexual equality, sports, and the environment. Headlining the festival, in addition to Storyteller of the Year Lisa Ling, will be Keynote Speaker 2020 Booker Prize Winner Douglas Stuart (“Shuggie Bain”). Among the panelists are award-winning author and screenwriter Brian Broome (“Punch Me Up to the Gods,”), 2021 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction recipient Deesha Philyaw (“The Secret Lives of Church Ladies”), best-selling journalist Jake Tapper (“The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor”), Pulitzer Prize winning writer and critic Robin Givhan (The Washington Post), award-winning journalist Sunny Hostin (ABC’s The View), exiled Egyptian novelist Ahmed Naji (“The Use of Life”), and oceanographer and environmental activist Phillippe Cousteau, Jr. (“Xploration Awesome Planet” TV series).
Registration for the Summer Festival is free and open at 1455litarts.org/summerfest
About The 1455 Summer Festival
The 1455 Summer Festival is one of the most comprehensive storytelling experiences in the world. The event is, by design, a no-cost, accessible, and inclusive forum for literary and creative arts enthusiasts to enjoy a broad spectrum of content presented by acclaimed writers and other craftspeople in the literary arts. Taking place virtually from July 15-17, 2021, the 1455 Summer Festival features more than 60 panels with 200 speakers offering storytelling experiences, interviews, conversations, and deep dives into craft across fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and multimedia. The 1455 Summer Festival, now in its third year, is presented by 1455 Literary Arts, an independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to advance the art and craft of storytelling to build a dynamic, innovative community. For more information, visit 1455litarts.org
