Following a two-year hiatus during the pandemic, Narrative Night went virtual with a timely infusion of wit, wisdom, and poetry, and featuring our 2021
Narrative Storyteller Honoree, playwright, actor and thought-leader
Anna Deavere Smith, in conversation with our
cofounder and bestselling author, Carol Edgarian, about where we are in the greater story of our time. Also appearing,
Narrative Prize winner Gbenga Adesina and this year’s
winners of the “Tell Me a Story” High School Contest shined their light as we celebrated a new generation of talented voices. Rounding out the short program, a lively auction, laughter, shenanigans, and surprise guests dropped by. It was a truly remarkable evening.
Pin this: in the most challenging year of 2020, Narrative maintained our commitment to discover, pay, and publish the most remarkable, diverse voices in the world. What’s more, our flagship Narrative in the Schools program grew by more than 685 percent, reaching teachers and students in 19 countries, 39 states and 174 cities in the U.S., and 212 schools—in all, more than 100,000 students inspired by the gift of story! How’d we do it? With your support, Narrative empowers teachers and students—particularly those in underserved communities—with a first-rank library of literature, video tutorials, and curated reading guides they can carry in their pockets. A world of reading that opens minds and bridges divides—that is always open and free. Our digital campfire for storytelling invites the world to gather ’round.
This was our first fundraiser in two years, and the support of our readers—now and in the future—is crucial. We’re so grateful for those who joined us as we celebrated the stories that entertain, unite and inspire us all.
About Narrative:
Narrative is the leading digital publisher of fiction, poetry, essays and art. Each year we publish hundreds of artists, including emerging authors and winners of the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, and National Book Award. Every dollar donated to Narrative supports our library of great literature that’s available to readers for free.
Our Narrative in the Schools program builds a crucial bridge between underserved educational communities around the world and high-quality literature. At the onset of COVID-19, when 90 percent of the world’s teachers and students unexpectedly pivoted to online learning, Narrative was already there, ready to provide essential support, offering lesson plans, video writing tutorials, the Narrative “Tell Me a Story” High School Writing Contest and, of course, our free, ever-expanding library of literature. Our thousands of stories, poems, essays, and art are used in classrooms around the globe—to teach, inspire, engage, and connect the generations. After all, as we often say, we know ourselves and our world by the stories we tell. We strive to bring you, our readers, the best stories and poems of the day, and of all days.
