Welcome and Introduction: Lin Oliver

SCBWI executive director Lin Oliver

Sporting a brand-new hip, SCBWI co-founder, executive director, bestselling author, and all-around wonder Lin Oliver kicked off the conference.

She gave information to get us all oriented, as well as a few entertaining statistics:

• The first conference was 48 years ago, and 35 people attended. Rooms cost $11 a night, or $13 if you wanted a deluxe room with a balcony. 
• There are 1,159 people signed up for the conference (not including Lin).
• 427 are published and 732 are pre-published. 
• Attendees come from countries all around the world, as well as 47 states (South Dakota, Delaware, and Arkansas). 
• 400 are professional authors or illustrators.
• 102 teachers and librarians are in attendance.
• A variety of other professions are represented: agents, art directors, editors, film directors, actors, actresses, waiters, lawyers, parents, photographers, graphic designers, nurses, psychologists, environmental scientists, food scientists, singer-songwriters, real estate brokers, economics, architects, and more. 

"We represent all professions, all walks of life, and all ways of being," Lin said.

Then the faculty entered and made book recommendations for all of us, choosing books that affected them profoundly.

Here's a smattering:

• Beloved by Toni Morrison (Cecelia Yung)
• Snugglepot and Cuddlepie by May Gibbs (Mom Fox)
• The Art Lesson by Tomie DePaola (Alexandra Penfold) 
• Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume (Debbie Ridpath Ohi)
• Outline by Rachel Cusk (Simon Boughton)
• Wild Geese by Mary Oliver (a poem) (Sara Sargent)
• The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (Tiff Liao) 
• The Success Principles by Jack Canfield (Donna Beasley)
• So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo (Adib Khorram)
• Hurricane Child by Kacen Callender (Beth Phelan)
• House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (Renee Watson)
• Charlotte's Web by E.B. White (Meg Medina) 
• An Indigenous People's History of the United States adapted for young people by Jean Mendoza and Debbie Reese and (Phil Bildner and Linda Sue Park)