Sarah Topol is the winner of the 22nd annual Michael Kelly Award for “The Deserter: An Epic Story of Love and War,” published last year by The New York Times Magazine. Topol’s moving, five-part feature is about a combat officer who deserted from the Russian army and, together with his wife, defected to the West; Topol also spoke with 18 other Russian defectors for her reporting.
The award was announced this morning at the 16th annual Atlantic Festival in New York City. From her acceptance speech, Topol said: “Now more than ever, we must continue to be critical, to question accepted narratives, to be brave, and to seek a greater understanding of this chaotic and dangerous time, even at personal risk. I can only continue to aspire to do so in such beautiful, sharp, original and incisive sentences as Kelly did.”
In their commendation, the judges praised Topol’s painstaking reporting and textured writing. Her 35,000-word narrative, they note, “has the propulsive power of a novel, offering readers a uniquely intimate look at the Russian military, its history, its corruption, and the horrific demands placed on soldiers.” Topol is a contributing writer at The New York Times Magazine. She will be awarded a prize of $25,000.
Presented by The Atlantic, the Michael Kelly Award honors journalists whose work exemplifies “the fearless pursuit and expression of truth,” which defined Michael Kelly’s own life and career. Kelly was the first journalist killed in the course of the Iraq War, in 2003. He served as editor of The Atlantic and National Journal when both magazines were publications of Atlantic Media, chaired by David G. Bradley. Bradley created the award in Kelly’s honor.
Journalists from two other news organizations were recognized as finalists: Alissa Zhu, Nick Thieme, and Jessica Gallagher, at The Baltimore Banner, for their years-long investigation into Baltimore’s overdose crisis; and Olivia Carville and Cecilia D’Anastasio, at Bloomberg Businessweek, for their urgent reporting on children’s online safety.
Five judges selected the winner and the finalists: Mark Feeney, a Pulitzer Prize–winning critic and writer at The Boston Globe; Tyler Austin Harper, a staff writer at The Atlantic; Hannah Dreier, a past winner of the Michael Kelly Award and a Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter at The New York Times; Ena Alvarado, a writer and former assistant editor at The Atlantic; and Cullen Murphy, the editor at large of The Atlantic.
More information about Michael Kelly and the award in his honor can be found at www.michaelkellyaward.com.
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