Conferences are dull, dry affairs. They are full of serious looking business people reading through lists of statistics and urging you to work harder, network better, wheel and deal more efficiently. See Whitmore over there, someone says. You nod, nervously, unsure whether the question is a trick one or not. Well just between you and me, she’s being headhunted. We’d really rather give the job to you, because we like your shoes. Go and stir up some rumours and jimmy her chances. So you dutifully dither off, unsure of whether or not you hear your name being mentioned in hushed voices behind your back.

Conferences are dull, dry affairs.

Only… The SCBWI Conference wasn’t! It was funny, supportive, vibrant and MIND BLOWING. The Keynote speakers were inspiring, the seminars useful and the competitions were perfectly pitched. This was a conference like no other.

As a newbie I was unsure what to expect. As an organiser I was wildly out of my depth. I held my breath for the entire journey. Mainly because of the chap next to me, but also because I was nervous. I should have relaxed. Well, moved seat first, but then relaxed. From the second I met my first fellow Scoobite, I knew I would be in safe waters. Even though people were dressed as pirates.

Nobody was off limits. Approaching David Fickling was a doddle, he was encouraging and (my key word here) supportive. The same for Philip and Sarah (hey, didn’t they used to do kids TV together?). Johnny Duddle, David Lucas, Candy Gourlay, Mo O’Hara, Penny Holroyde, Gemma Cooper… Honestly, I’m just plucking names randomly now. There’s no other way short of reprinting the speaker list and then moving on to reprint the delegate list. At lunch people welcomed me to sit beside them. At the party people smiled and made contact.

It’s said that writing and illustrating is a lonely business. Well maybe it is for some of the year, but for one weekend it’s incredible.

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