Dhaka, November 9, 2018 – Chris Heiser, publisher and co-founder of The Unnamed Press, Christian Hodell, talent agent and managing director at Hamilton Hodell, and Rosalind Porter, deputy editor of Granta magazine, shared their insights on what storytelling means in today’s context and the challenges faced by those involved in the process in the panel ‘Storytelling’ moderated by journalist Ed Cumming.
They set the premise for the panel by opening on the note that there are many different versions of storytelling, among which television, film, poetry, and previously untold stories are currently popular. The panelists moved on to discuss whether stories face the risk of becoming homogenous with people trying to create content that caters to global audiences.
The discussion took a more cheerful turn when it explored the inclusion and diversity present in stories today, with panelists expressing how wonderful that is. “The era of the white guy being the star is over,” said Ed Cumming.
“It’s true, and it’s great! He’s had enough time in the spotlight,” commented Christian Hodell.
The panelists also spoke about social media’s impact on storytellers, sharing that it is a way for them to connect with their audiences and while they may be met with negativity, that is part of what they are opening themselves up to.
‘Storytelling’ came to an end with the panelists giving advice to aspiring writers within the audience—including the importance of being well-read and tenacious—and an interactive Q/A session.