A Serendipitous Friendship.

Sometimes the best stories begin with a chance encounter.

Our story started in Edinburgh in 2016. Lynn was on her way to a job interview and, feeling a little unsure of where she was going, met Claudia, who kindly pointed her in the right direction. As fate would have it, Claudia was not only working at the school but was also part of the interview panel. Lynn got the job, and before long the two found themselves working together on the same team.

Friendship soon followed.

During lunch breaks, Claudia enjoyed swimming lengths in a nearby pool. One day, after one of her swims, she shared an idea she had for a children's story and recited the opening lines. The idea stayed with Lynn, who gradually began adding to it, developing characters, adventures and a world of her own. Over time, those few lines grew into My Mummy is a Mermaid.

Today, Lynn is the author of the story and Claudia is bringing it to life through her illustrations. The book has been tested on the toughest audience of all—their children—who have heard it countless times and still love it.

Claudia grew up in Edinburgh after moving from South Africa as a child. She is married to Dave and together they have two children, Breagh and Caelan. Lynn is originally from Ireland and moved to Edinburgh while her husband, Alex, studied Brewing and Distilling at Heriot-Watt University. They have two children, Clodagh and Rhys.

Beyond books, both Claudia and Lynn share a love of the outdoors and cold-water swimming, although Claudia is undoubtedly the more adventurous of the two. Over the years they have enjoyed many adventures together, from hiking and camping trips to sea swims and family outings.

Although Claudia moved on from the school in 2018, the friendship remained. Nearly a decade after that chance meeting outside the school gates, they are still creating, exploring and laughing together—and My Mummy is a Mermaid is just one chapter of that story.