Notes from the Atlas of Scotland Tent

Books, sunshine, and the start of Scottish summer

It always feels like summer when the Meadows Festival gets underway on the first weekend of June. It’s one of my favourite events in the calendar. The Edinburgh public park is transformed with live music, food, bric-a-brac, and a whole variety of market stalls. It’s colourful and cheery, usually with good weather, and has the effect of making you look forward to the rest of summer.

This year was the first time I’ve had my own pitch at the Meadows Festival. I borrowed a gazebo and a table, and set up an ‘Atlas tent’, selling a range of my illustrated books, prints and cards - but mostly my Atlas of Scotland, the first book to be published under The Scots Curator label.

There’s something really nice about being able to speak directly to people about your work. People who might pass by your book in a bookshop will take an interest if they can talk to you about it face-to-face.

I set up a large illustrated A0 map of Scotland to one side of the table, and it was fun to watch people coming up to it, finding all the places which meant something particular to them, or talking to their friends about places they’d one day like to visit. I’ve always loved how maps have the power to connect people to the world around them.

This year’s Meadows Festival also coincided with the Declaration of Arbroath going on display, for the first time in almost 20 years, at the National Museum of Scotland up the road on Chamber Street. I had a few copies of my Illustrated Declaration of Arbroath available at the tent, and lots of enthusiastic people stopped by to tell me ‘We’ve just been to see the real thing!’ or ‘We’re on our way to see it now!’ After the Declaration’s 700th anniversary celebrations were cancelled due to Covid in 2020, it was good to see it finally getting its moment in the sun. (Not literally - it’s in a very dark room!)

All in all, I’m certainly glad I made the leap and gave the Meadows Festival pitch a go. Selling my work online has played such an vital role in my life as a freelance artist and writer, but when it comes to properly engaging people in the work, nothing really beats an old-fashioned folding table, a sunny day, and some friendly passers-by.