Thousands of hours go into planning, organizing and executing the Write! Canada conference every year. What would compel dozens of volunteers to willingly devote so much of what might otherwise be precious writing time and creative energy to such an enormous task? It is a labour of love. But it is also a calling. They do this work, because they believe it is what God would have them do.
For 25 years, this conference has been sustained by the passions and energies of writers and editors who are Christian. But more than that, they are people who care about their fellow writers. And because they care, they do what’s necessary to ensure that the conference is a place where writers can obtain the tools and supports they need, to write the messages God gives them for our needy world.
In honour of this quarter-century milestone in the history of the conference, we thought it important to record some of the thoughts, opinions and stories of those who were there.
May their words and stories inspire and uphold you until we meet again, for Write! Canada 2010.
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OVERHEARD DAY ONE OF THE CONFERENCE:
“I’ve had two classes and one appointment and I already have enough to keep me busy for the next year!”
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FAST FACTS:
- Total number of attendees at the conference: 224
- Number of first-time conference attendees: 68
- Females: 158
- Males: 66
- Age range of attendees: from teens into 80’s
- Canadian provinces represented: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba,
Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia
- Average number of books sold in conference bookstore per attendee: 3 – 4
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NOTABLE QUOTE:
“One of the nice things about coming to these conferences is that you meet people who—in previous years—you tried to encourage and inspire to go on to become writers. And they come back and they actually have a couple of books published! Some of them are now regularly publishing articles. That, by itself, is a testimony to the fact that these conferences do work.”
Larry Willard, Publisher Castle Quay Books, Co-owner Faith Family Books & Gifts
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Compiled and written by Patricia Paddey
Photos by Phillip Mayer
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