EUGENE, OR, November 2023 —H. Norman Wright had a truly extraordinary gift for blessing and encouraging everyone who met him in person and through the written page. As one of Harvest House Publishers’ longest-serving authors and dearest friends, he has had a special place in our hearts—so it is with great sadness that we mourn over the news that he has entered our Savior’s presence on November 12, 2023.
Norm’s contagious enthusiasm for ministering to people and the exceptional compassion he put into his counsel left a significant and meaningful impact on countless thousands of lives through the years. Whether offering words of wisdom to newly engaged couples or gentle comfort to those in the dark valley of grief, he knew exactly what to say to point people toward real growth, healing, and hope. Readers have described Norm as “incredibly helpful and insightful” and “a most gracious companion in my darkest hours”—a testimony to his ability to speak to people’s hearts at their point of greatest need.
Especially endearing to us was Norm’s zest for living life to the fullest and making the most of all that he did. He enjoyed teaching his beloved golden retrievers to do amazing tricks, was an ardent fisherman, and loved to sharpen his skills at playing the piano.
As a much-loved and widely respected Christian counselor, Norm wrote more than 90 publications. In his 46 years of writing for Harvest House, he penned more than 50 books and booklets. One of his earliest projects with the company, Before You Say I Do, quickly became the most widely used premarital counseling manual in the Christian marketplace, with now nearly 1,400,000 copies sold. His most popular Harvest House books include the major bestseller Quiet Times for Couples, as well as 101 Questions to Ask Before You Get Engaged and Winning Over Your Emotions.
Norm was also widely recognized for his special skills in trauma and grief counseling. As a pioneer in this area of ministry, he developed valuable and ground-breaking resources that have helped many.
President Bob Hawkins Jr. says of Norm, “I loved Norm! He was always warm, lighthearted, and truly gracious in all our conversations and work together over the years. You could always count on him to say at least one ‘Garsh’ in every phone call, which was his endearing, trademark way of saying, ‘Gosh’ in childlike amazement. He was mischievous, spirited, visionary, and so very practical in his books. I so appreciated his selfless service to so many people, including young newlyweds and those in the throes of trauma and grief. I will miss him dearly!”
Norm’s deep love for the Lord and for everyone around him—especially his family—have been a long-lasting source of inspiration for us. We are extremely grateful for the privilege of knowing and publishing him, and for the powerful legacy he has left for future generations of Christian counselors and readers.
About Harvest House
Harvest House, a Christian publishing company based in Eugene, Oregon, publishes more than 100 books per year and carries a strong backlist offering more than 1,500 titles. Over 145 million Harvest House books have been sold worldwide through diverse distribution channels, and additional millions have sold in over 75 different languages.
Media Contact: Sherrie Slopianka, publicity@harvesthousepublishers.com
