A Message to Writers and Readers Interested in 1455 Books
What an honor to join forces with Jenna Blum—NYT bestselling author and visionary co-founder of A Mighty Blaze—to discuss why 1455 books matters right now. Our conversation spans the entire journey: from the spark that became 1455 Lit Arts to the reality of building something meaningful from nothing, from leveraging unexpected skills to assembling a team united by purpose. We confront the uncomfortable questions: Does art matter when the world feels like it’s burning? (Yes—perhaps especially then.) Should we launch a publishing venture when the industry is in flux? (It’s the worst possible moment, which makes it the most important time to act.) Because publishing books isn’t just about putting words on pages—it’s about fulfilling 1455’s promise to amplify authentic voices, create lasting community, and stand beside every storyteller brave enough to share their truth.
The best problem to have is being confronted with so much good work you don’t know what to do with it. For our first book contest, I didn’t want to limit it to novels and exclude amazing memoirs or poetry collections—if we’re fortunate enough to have success, I’d love to break those out later. Write something that could only come from you. We’re not chasing trends or looking for particular topics. The women’s anthology and young poets anthology themes—silence and hope—are intentionally specific yet vague, definable but open to interpretation. I apologize for sounding corny, but if you have a good manuscript, I’d love to see it.
I apologize in advance that we can only pick one winner, and I don’t presume I have any right to judge or say one’s better—it’ll be tough. But seeing good books validates my conviction that there aren’t enough good books or good writers, and we’ve got a big enough world to accommodate more. This isn’t taking shots at Big Five or independent presses—we can coexist and lift other voices up. My conviction is simple: we don’t have enough books or music, and I discover new writing every day that humbles me.
Twenty years ago, Heather Cox Richardson would’ve been dismissed as a blogger, but now authentic voices are everywhere if you look. I’m not disrupting the big trains moving down the track, but I’ll feel better if this generation’s Herman Melville doesn’t have a book languish in their drawer for lack of options. That’s where I find my hope.
Visit 1455litarts.org to find out more, get involved, or help support our mission.