Winchester, Va, June 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 1455 Literary Arts, an organization committed to advancing the art and craft of storytelling, today announced its lineup of literary and creative artists and thinkers who will share their insights, inspiration and passion at the 1455 Literary Arts Summer Festival, taking place virtually from July 15-17, 2021. Now in its third year, this free and inclusive program will offer a wide array of content designed to showcase storytellers, celebrate creativity, build community, and encourage participants to pursue their own creative endeavors.
Registration is free and open at the festival website.
Highlights of the three-day event include:
- More than 200 speakers appearing on 60+ panel sessions
- A diverse offering of authors, speakers and contributors, from a variety of genders, cultures, ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds
- Three separate storytelling tracks: Inspiration & Advocacy; Timely & Topical; and Craft & Community
- A closing keynote session with 2020 Booker Prize-winning author Douglas Stuart (“Shuggie Bain”)
- A teen poetry contest with a $5,000 grand prize
The 2021 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. 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”), attorney-turned-Edgar Award-winning author Angie Kim (“Miracle Creek), exiled Egyptian novelist Ahmed Naji (“The Use of Life”), and oceanographer and environmental activist Phillippe Cousteau, Jr. (“Xploration Awesome Planet” TV series).
“The 1455 Summer Fest is, by design, unique and inclusive: it stands apart from strictly literary events as a free and dynamic experience; anyone can find a topic of interest and drop in on intimate conversations among some of today’s hottest creative thinkers and powerful storytellers on the rise,” said Sean Murphy, Executive Director of 1455 Literary Arts. “We constantly seek out diverse talent, and our goal is facilitating meaningful connection; a highlight of 2020 was our interview with Douglas Stuart for our Author Series just prior to his being awarded the Booker Prize. During his keynote, he’ll discuss his life since receiving the award. During panels, we’ll feature internationally celebrated authors (including last year’s PEN/Faulkner Award winner and National book award finalist Deesha Philyaw), among others, who will read from their work and talk about their writing process. These conversations are intended to provide meaningful insight into what storytelling means, who does it, how they do it, why they do it, the struggles and triumphs, and everything in between.”
As part of the festival, 1455 is also conducting a Teen Poetry Contest, centered around the theme of “Finding Community During Crisis.” Open to any poet within the 13-19 age group, and with a deadline of July 1, 2021, entries should be a reflection on or reaction to the contemporary sociopolitical and cultural environment. The winner will receive recognition and an award of $5,000. For additional detail, visit 1455litarts.org/teenpoetry.
Added Murphy: “Rather than scaling back our event due to COVID, the 2021 Summer Festival will be our grandest ever, by far. We’re purposely keeping programming virtual so we can continue to offer this free and imminently accessible platform to the world. Authors have not been able to connect with their usual audiences, much less meet new ones during the past 15 months; 1455 is dedicated to reviving that interaction during the Summer Festival, and via 1455’s Author Series and other programs. We’re beyond excited to facilitate this much-needed platform.”
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: https://1455litarts.org/ Facebook; Twitter; Instagram; YouTube.