IBBY and NCRCL held their annual conference at Froebel College, Roehampton on Saturday 10th November. Focussing on international illustration, the speakers included Tom Schamp and Sabien Clement (Belgium), Andre Letria (Portugal). Here are some delegates reflections:

Hearing Jan speak was a joy, and only reinforced what i already realised that he is such a gifted artist able to create both intricate evocative images that embellish classic stories, to the bold lively colours of Meg and Mog for younger audiences. I also thought his own biography was well matched with the theme of the conference with different cultural influences on his work strongly evident.     Pam Lewis

As always, the IBBY/NCRCL Conference 2007 was a joy and it's hard to choose highlights. But for me, Andre Letria talking about illustrating his father's The Moon Has Written You a Poem was a moving experience and an introduction to a brilliant, innovative young Portuguese illustrator. The joint session given by Flemish illustrators Sabien Clement and Tom Schamp was outstanding; both are stunningly talented in very different ways. Please someone publish them in the UK. And I have to mention the joyous duo, Jan Pienkowski and Nicholas Tucker who were utterly engaging, reminding us of art work of humour, elegance and skill that many of us have grown up with! Jan's turban was to remind us that his most recent book is a version of the Arabian nights! And it was a real treat to have lunch with so many Write Away reviewers.  Liz Grugeon

My first IBBY conference and a lovely buzz around children's book illustration. It was good to hear from so many practising artists and I will retain fond images of Jan's turban, Tom Schamp's take on life, Satoshi Kitamura's lion's bad hair day and the stunning,sometimes deeply affecting photographs of Prodeepta Das. Anthony Browne was hugely entertaining at the end of a long day, but also showed helpful insights into his work. The international flavour was well observed and I felt I had come away with some deep cultural insights to inform my day job.  Stella Thebridge

 For me the highlight of the conference was the talk given by the two Flemish illustrators. If found that their work, especially Tom’s, challenged our notion of what an illustrations is.  Althea Samuels

It was wonderful: a day focussed on illustration was very refreshing; seeing picture books by, and hearing from, illustrators with a range of cultural and linguistic backgrounds is, I hope, a sign of things to come; and lastly, being in the company of Anthony, Satoshi and Jan made for a delightfully indulgent day. Aileen Withington

For Write Away reviewer, Sarah McIntyre's reflections and sketches, visit her blog http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/56737.html