I’ve been searching for days for a video with both of their speeches together – and now I’ve found it! 😀

Last week, Neil Gaiman presented Ursula K. Le Guin with the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters at the 2014 National Book Awards. Like Neil, Ursula is one of my favorite writers of all time, for both her poetic yet precise writing style and her thought-provoking ideas she explored through fantasy and science fiction. I also enjoyed Neil’s The Ocean At The End Of The Lane and plan to catch up on his earlier works.

What I love most about this video, though, are the speeches themselves. Neil is a fantastic speaker; he’s intelligent, thoughtful, and at times wonderfully funny. Ursula is also well-spoken in her own unique way. She’s like a force to be reckoned with: wise, witty, daringly insightful, and unabashedly honest. She’s not afraid to say what the publishing and writing industries truly need to hear.

What do you think about their speeches? Have you read any of Neil Gaiman’s or Ursula Le Guin’s works?