Kindling Words East is a four-day symposium with workshops each day for our three strands: Author, Illustrator and Editor. Over the weekend, you will spark ideas, rest and recharge, make new friendships and connect with colleagues. The relationships you make will have a lasting impact on your career. The Village of Kindling Words welcomes all published creators to our intentionally diverse community of children’s book professionals.
Kindling Words East 2022 celebrates Crystal Allen as the new artistic Co-Director. Crystal has chosen presenters that promise to open our minds and challenge our assumptions. Get ready to buzz with ideas!
The theme for KWE 2022 comes from the poem The Miracle of Morning, by Amanda Gorman:
We ignite not in the light, but in lack thereof,
For it is in loss that we truly learn to love.
In this chaos, we will discover clarity.
In suffering, we must find solidarity.
For it’s our grief that gives us our gratitude,
Shows us how to find hope, if we ever lose it.
So ensure that this ache wasn’t endured in vain:
Do not ignore the pain. Give it purpose. Use it.
Pandemic Update:
Kindling Words is determined to share ideas, not Covid. We recognize that many people in our community are vulnerable to this virus, and we respect and value their health. Everyone attending in person must be fully vaccinated, willing to show a negative covid test and / or mask while being indoors. We will make the full determination of how many steps we will need to take to be safe closer to the date when we know the risks.