Sharing Words of Hope
Graphic provided by Rampage student graphic designer Bruce Chaney
On April 24-25, writers and word-lovers from around the nation will gather at the Granada Theater in Bluefield, WV, for a weekend of fellowship and inspiration. The speakers for HopeWords Writers’ Conference will include authors Mitali Perkins, Daniel Nayeri, Gary Schmidt, and S.D. Smith.
“It’s really easy to see in today’s culture . . . that words influence,” says Cheryl Eichman, project manager for HopeWords. “They can be used for good things or bad things because words create thoughts, and thoughts create ideas, and that creates action.”
Founded by Travis Lowe and Robbie Gaines, HopeWords emerged from a belief in the power of the written word and “the beauty and heart” of the Bluefield community. Although it started small, HopeWords has expanded to include attendees from across the county.
“HopeWords is meant for lovers of words,” Eichman says. “Maybe lovers of words is a very broad way to say it, but I think that’s intentional because for anyone who believes in the power of words, I think they will get something out of HopeWords.”
HopeWords welcomes teachers, pastors, storytellers, mentors, neighbors, caretakers, illustrators – in short, anyone who loves words and God. This year, the conference’s theme is children’s literature. Eichman says good children’s literature has an “evergreen” quality, capturing “simple truth that lasts” and reaching people regardless of their age.
“For anyone who’s a reader, I think almost everyone can look back and talk about what their favorite childhood book is or a book that was meant for children that still impacts them today,” Eichman says.
This year’s speakers are authors whose works have, according to HopeWords’ website, “carried families through grief, lit sparks of courage, and awakened wonder. These are writers who speak simply of beauty without being naive, and handle complex brokenness with an unrelenting hope.”
The conference kicks off April 24 at 7 p.m., though the doors open earlier. Mitali Perkins, author of Steeped in Stories and other books, will deliver the keynote address. The following day, attendees will hear from six other authors and a panel representing literary organizations. Breaks between sessions provide an opportunity to chat with fellow participants and the speakers.
Attendees can also browse through Goldberry Books’ wide selection. In years past, other organizations such as the Author Conservatory have set up booths in the building next to the Granada Theater. The conference will conclude around 4 p.m. on April 25, with a post-conference event that evening.
According to Eichman, speaker selection is impacted both by what Lowe has been reading and by who is willing to explore a new area.
“It’s kind of a big ask to invite an author to a smaller community that’s a bit hard to get to,” Eichman says. “We will throw the ask out and sometimes it doesn’t work, and then there’s other times where we have been very shocked at who’s been willing to respond and come out. We have heard multiple times from really well-known authors just how much they have loved Bluefield, loved the conference.”
Eichman compares most writers’ conferences to hydroelectric plants where water generates energy to send products out into the world. Those types of conferences have a purpose, but HopeWords is not like that. HopeWords is more like “the river that you sit by,” Eichman says, a river that creates a “refreshed, renewed energy.”
While attendees will not come away knowing how to pitch their book proposal or talk to agents, Eichman prays they will be revived and empowered. Purposefully situated in Bluefield, WV, HopeWords emphasizes the “gritty hope” the city embodies.
“Speaking with hope, writing with hope, can be quite a process and can be kind of gritty work, but it ultimately has great reward if you continue to push forward,” Eichman says. “And it has a unique kind of beauty to it, which is, I think, encapsulated in Bluefield.”
She and the rest of the HopeWords team hope Bluefield’s story of prosperity, decline, and gradual rebuilding will “inspire participants who are coming to do some of the hard work of using words.”
The spring season itself is another inspiration. For Eichman, spring represents breaking through a deep freeze and “coming into this world with wonder and newness and growth” – exactly the hopeful vision HopeWords aims to instill. She hopes that the conversations held at HopeWords, whether from the stage or between participants, will be “words of light” with the power to “overcome dark spaces,” wherever that may be.
For those who cannot attend this year, Eichman invites them to join next year on April 9-10. Learn more about HopeWords Writers’ Conference or register here.