Esperanza’s Life

Born in Colombia and now based in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, Esperanza Hope Snyder is a novelist, poet, translator, and academic whose career bridges continents and disciplines. She holds advanced degrees in literature from Johns Hopkins, George Washington University, and the University of Manchester, and has served as Poet Laureate of Shepherdstown.

She has directed festivals, founded an independent press, and taught at institutions including Shepherd University and Hood College, where she served as Writer in Residence. Her creative work spans novels, poetry, plays, and translation, with publications in leading journals such as The Kenyon Review, The Gettysburg Review, and Poetry Northwest.

Esperanza is the author of four poetry collections — including Esperanza and Hope — two novels—including Orange Wine—as well as plays and a children’s book. Her honors include scholarships and fellowships from Bread Loaf, The Community of Writers, The Gettysburg Review Conference for Writers, The Latino Writers Conference and The Kenyon Review.