Living in Edinburgh, I had never been to YALC. It was time to change that, and this year, the stars were properly aligned. I had already booked a ticket to see "A Monster Calls" that day, with a group of YLG friends - yes, friends, because we are far more than just a committee, but a group of people with similar interests who enjoy doing things together.

I also had an ulterior motive for attending YALC, namely speaking to all the publishers who haven't yet signed up for our wonderful YLG conference exhibition and enticing them to do so as soon as possible. I had no real expectations about YALC but I couldn't help noticing how different it is from the YLG conference. First of all, the scale - YALC takes place at the Olympia, a huge, very open venue. The space was very well used and it never felt crowded despite the number of people there. The atmosphere was very relaxed, with people sitting on the floor, in group chatting, or on their own engrossed in a book. The fact that the Film and ComicCon was taking place on the floor below and YALC tickets granted you entry to that too, meant that people with all sorts of wonderful costumes from superheroes to book characters, could be spotted now and then, adding to the atmosphere.

The event area was open and people could go in and out very easily during the event. The events themselves were interesting, with an impressive line-up. Most main events were panel events with 4 or 5 authors, one of whom was also the chair. I enjoyed the “Centenary of Women's Vote” with Alwyn Hamilton, Katherine Webber, Sally Nicholls and Sheena Wilkinson. It was followed by a discussion on retelling of classic tales and featured Deidre Sullivan, Kristina Perez, Louise O'Neill, Mary Watson and Melissa Albert. I didn't have time for more but I did visit the exhibition, which I found slightly disappointing for its lack of proofs or other freebies, which are a feature of the YLG conference!

At this point, I need to urge you to book for it, if you have not done so yet! Please go to:

https://www.cilip.org.uk/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1059241&group=201316

After YALC it was time to meet up for "A Monster Calls" at The Old Vic. What a powerful performance! Imaginative, intensely moving but never soppy, I loved it!