1455’s Third Annual Literary Festival concluded in celebratory fashion, having increased its registration numbers from last year’s event. Once again offering free, online programming, the festival that ran from July 15 – 17 delivered a variety of content, from interviews to workshops, with an impressive lineup of authors, poets, educators, and creatives.
The event featured a diverse array of more than 200 speakers across 75+ panels all focused on the power of storytelling and the crucial role it plays in the creative and academic fields, as well as the business and political arena. The 1455 Summer Festival welcomed participants from around the country and globe including Africa and the UK, all uniting across its three focal tracks of “Inspiration & Advocacy,” “Timely & Topical” and “Craft & Community.” Among the most popular sessions were the keynote featuring Booker Prize winning Douglas Stuart (author of Shuggie Bain), “A Reading and Conversation with S.A. Cosby (author of Razorblade Tears), “Cancel Culture in Today’s Literary Landscape,” “The South Got Something to Say” (featuring authors Deesha Philyaw, Dawnie Walton, and Dantiel W. Moniz), and a special interview with ABC’s Sunny Hostin. 1455 was pleased to name award-winning journalist and author Lisa Ling recipient of its second Storytelling Award, which was followed with a wide-ranging interview with Executive Director Sean Murphy. Every session was recorded, and the videos are available via 1455’s YouTube channel.
“It was incredibly gratifying to be joined by such an engaged and global audience at this year’s festival,” said 1455’s Executive Director Sean Murphy. “This enthusiastic response confirms our belief that celebrating creativity and building community is empowering and contagious. 1455 is committed to showcasing storytelling of all kinds and connecting people who share a passion for the arts. It was also important to make this year’s event as inclusive and topical as possible, and we’re proud to have produced such quality content at a time when peoples’ ability to freely interact has been disrupted. We were able to provide a variety of content for interests ranging from literature and politics to poetry and pop culture. It was particularly meaningful to honor Lisa Ling for the amazing work she does. Her celebrated career certainly 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. We are already looking forward to—and planning for—next year’s festival!”
ABOUT 1455
1455 is a nonprofit organization seeking to advance the appreciation of and passion for storytelling through programs that support expression, education, and the sharing of writing and literature. It holds events throughout the year dedicated to supporting writers of all ages and skill levels. Its annual Summer Literary Festival was held Thursday, July 15th—Saturday, July 17th, 2021. To learn more about 1455, please visit 1455litarts.org.
