SCBWI British Isles - 20-year Celebration!

SCBWI British Isles is 20-years-old! To celebrate, our Southeast Scotland division had a picnic in the Princes Street Garden just below the statue of Wojtek the Bear.
Elizabeth Wein's basket. Karen Harding and I were the first ones to arrive - here we are with the castle in the background.
We set out my blanket and it quickly expanded with fellow SCBWIers and more blankets all around. And the weather, which was supposed to be a little dicey, was perfect. Something nice happened this day. It was the first time I participated in an SCBWI even where I really felt like I was getting to know people - where I was surrounded by (albeit new) friends. SUCH a nice feeling. We all talked about books and art. Three of the six illustrators in the group found each other. That's Jeanne Dron, me, and Hannah Sanguinetti. We made plans for a future get-together at Waterstones. Our Network Organiser (alongside Louise Kelly), Sheila Averbuch was thrilled with that and the high attendance to report back to the main British Isles folks. (She's on the left and that's Elizabeth Wein on the right of Code Name Verity fame.) I thought I'd have time to kill before the panel I was attending at the Book Festival. But no - we all chatted for hours! (See me in there towards the right?) Truly, that's what SCBWI is all about - finding your peeps, a place to feel at home, your tribe. I love that I can find that anywhere in the world!