Exhibitors Events Programme

You have time until 30 September to see again the exciting Exhibitor Events Programme: meetings and in-depth analyses organised by our BCBF Exhibitors during the BCBF Online Edition from 4 to 17 June 2021.


Sunday 07 April 2024

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

How to Sell Rights and Understand Licensing in Children's Books

Sala Concerto
Services Centre - Wing D

Pre-registration required on BBPlus website.

How to participate.

Organized by

BBPlus

Monday 08 April 2024

Talks & Presentations

La Biblioteca Scolastica: una risorsa strategica per la formazione iniziale degli insegnanti

Sala Notturno
Services Centre - Wing D
Moderator
Donatella Lombello, Presidente As.Pe.I.- Coordinatrice GRIBS; Luisa Marquardt Coordinatrice CNBS-AIB
Panel

Irene Manzi, Commissione Cultura Camera; Luciana Bellatalla, Vicepresidente, SPES; Berta Martini,Vicepresidente, CUNSF; Paola Castellucci, Presidente, SISBB; Fabio Venuda, Componente, SISBB; Licia Cianfriglia, Responsabile Partnership, ANP; Gabriella Agrusti, Vicepresidente, CNPSFP; Caterina Spezzano, MIM; Maurizio Caminito, Forum Libro; Daniela Marànta, TRL; Mario Prore, Rete Lucana BS; Cristina Bellei, Referente, AIB-ER.

Organized by

As.Pe.I. - Associazione Pedagogica Italiana  

In cooperation with

GRISB (PD) - Gruppo di Ricerca Biblioteche Scolastiche

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Licensing Portfolio Review - GAMING: Fée Heyer (Devolver Digital)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Licensing Portfolio Area

 Event upon reservation only

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

Event Highlights

CIAO KATSUMI! A tribute to Katsumi Komagata (1953 - 2024)

Services Centre
Illustrators Café
Panel

 Ai Komagata, Kiyoko Matsuoka, Ayami Moriizumi, Peggy Espinosa, Gita Wolf

Organized by

 BCBF

In cooperation with

  Itabashi Art Museum

The Illustrators Survival Corner

HORMAK: Murals from the Basque Country - Workshop with Markel Urrutia and Natalia Albéniz

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Workshop Area

After a short introduction which includes examples of different mural painting techniques that an illustrator could use, both artists will collaborate with the workshop participants to paint some walls specifically reserved for this activity.

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Panel

Markel Urrutia, illustrator, designer and muralist, Smoke Signals Studio; Natalia Albéniz, illustrator and art educator.

Organized by

EUSKAL IRUDIGILEAK - Association of Professional Illustrators of the Basque Country

In cooperation with

Basque Government, Etxepare Basque Institute

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

Self-Publishing Day One: A Focus on your writing

Sala Concerto
Services Centre - Wing D

Pre-registration required on BBPlus website.

How to participate.

Organized by

BBPlus

In cooperation with

Argentovivo

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Building the 3 C’s - Craft, Community and Career - Through Education and Shared Experiences - Masterclass

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Masterclass Area

Building the 3 C's is essential for becoming a successful children's book illustrator. Groups, associations and degrees can help. Learn which are right for you and how to get the most out of them.

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

Panel

Shelley Ann Jackson, Associate Professor, Course Leader, MA Children's Book Illustration; Ella Beech, illustrator; Rachel Bostick, illustrator.

With the support of

Cambridge School of Art, Anglia Ruskin University

Book Lovers' Café

Le Siciliane. Almanacco illustrato per giovani sognatrici

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
Book Lovers' Café

L'Almanacco illustrato per giovani sognatrici è frutto del lavoro editoriale dell'Associazione Centopassi di Torregrotta, con il coordinamento del giornalista Mauro Mondello. Parole e figure raccontano di cinquanta donne libere e forti che, con il loro impegno, hanno reso la Sicilia migliore. Le illustrazioni portano firme che arrivano da molte parti del mondo. Al tavolo un dialogo tra l'ideatore, la voce narrante e una delle illustratrici.

Moderator
Silvana Sola, Docente, ISIA Urbino
Panel

Mauro Mondello, giornalista; Mariska Gewald, illustratrice; Rita Lorena Paone, pedagogista e autrice.

Organized by

Associazione Centopassi

Event Highlights
PublisHer

The Power of Collaboration: Women in Publishing Networks

HALL 29, B44-C41
PublisHer Area

Explore the importance of networking and collaboration in the publishing industry. Discuss how female publishers have built supportive networks and collaborations to enhance their professional growth.

Panel

Bodour Al Qasimi, CEO and Founder, Kalimat Publishing Group; Elena Pasoli, Director, Bologna Children's Book Fair

Organized by

PublisHer

Authors Café

Almeno questi! Bibliografia di base della biblioteca per ragazze e ragazzi: presentazione della nuova edizione

HALL 30
Authors Café

Aggiornata ogni anno, questa bibliografia di libri in commercio si propone come contenitore di indicazioni utili alle scelte di ampliamento del fondo librario.

Panel

Ilaria Tagliaferri, Direttrice, rivista LiBeR e referente, Centro regionale di servizi per le biblioteche per ragazzi, Regione Toscana.

Organized by

Centro regionale di servizi per le biblioteche per ragazzi, Regione Toscana

In cooperation with

LiBeR

With the support of

Regione Toscana

Event Highlights
Illustrators Café
BolognaBookPlus
Slovenia Guest of Honour
Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids

Opening ceremony of Bologna Children’s Book Fair, BolognaBookPlus, Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids, Slovenia Guest of Honour

Services Centre
Illustrators Café
BolognaBookPlus
Aldus Up
Artificial Intelligence

Do Androids Dream of Great Alternative Descriptions for Images?

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre

A crucial component of accessibility is providing reliable alternative descriptions for images. However, crafting alternative descriptions for images stands out as a particularly challenging task for publishers, due to the need for specialised knowledge and the amount of time to ensure accuracy. This is especially pronounced when attempting to make backlist titles accessible, as they were not originally designed with accessibility in mind. Fondazione LIA will explore the world in which AI meets the alternative description of images with insights from professionals in the field, exposing both the possibilities through a showcase of the options available and the concrete applications already adopted by the industry.

Moderator
Elisa Molinari, Project Manager, Fondazione LIA
Panel

Gautier Chomel, Project Manager, EDRLab; Gregorio Pellegrino, Chief Accessibility Officer, Fondazione LIA; Paolo Casarini, CTO / IT Director, Società Editrice il Mulino.

Organized by

BBPlus

In cooperation with

Fondazione LIA

In the framework of

Aldus Up, ABELab

Event Highlights
Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids
Comics

Opening interview: Kodansha, building successful IPs from manga

HALL 29 MALL 2
Licensing Conference Room

Japanese publishing giant Kodansha is a leading producer of manga IP. In recent years, they have been developing licensing strategies that help to extend their IPs beyond manga to become iconic brands applied to consumer products and beyond. At the centre of the interview, discussions regarding the strategies behind the crossover of Kodansha content and consumer product development, the wave of major international trends around manga, and enlighten the audience with interesting and current ones to follow.

Panel

Yulia Amano, Senior International Licensing Manager, Kodansha Ltd, Japan.

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

In cooperation with

Licensing Magazine

In the framework of

International Kids Licensing Days, Comics Corner

International Bookshop

Book Signing Ale Puro

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
International Bookshop
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Italy and Beyond - Masterclass with Davide Calì, Felicita Sala

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Masterclass Area

A conversation about what's like working as an illustrator and author with Italian publishers and with publishers in other countries. Which are the pros and cons of both scenarios, and which are the experiences of the professional artists in our panel.

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

Panel

Davide Calì, author and Art Director; Felicita Sala, illustrator; Alessandro Mele, author and podcaster.

Organized by

"Il Mondo Invisibile" Podcast by Alessandro Mele

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Licensing Portfolio Review - GAMING: Gianluca Marani (Funny Tales)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Licensing Portfolio Area

 Event upon reservation only

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

Book Lovers' Café

Margini e confini, differenze come risorse: Ximo Abadía in conversazione con Federico Zaghis e Luca Misso

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
Book Lovers' Café

Stesso autore, due libri per due differenti editori: Khat ci riporta la drammaticità della guerra, la fuga e il desiderio di immaginare una vita in un luogo sicuro; Golia racconta la diversità e l'unicità, il viaggio per trovare il proprio posto nel mondo.

Moderator
Marina Lepore, Accademia Drosselmeier
Panel

Ximo Abadía, autore e illustratore; Luca Misso, Amministratore, Il Gatto Verde; Federico Zaghis, CEO, Becco Giallo; Luna DiMeglio, traduttrice.

 

Organized by

Becco Giallo, Il Gatto Verde

Translators Café

Translating picture books: the challenge of Maurice Sendak's masterpieces

HALL 30
Translators Café
Moderator
Cora Presezzi, scholar, Villa I Tatti, consultant, Adelphi
Panel

Anna Castagnoli, author, illustrator, indipendent scholar; Sergio Ruzzier, author and illustrator; Lisa Topi, translator.

 

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids

The Brand Licensing Forecast

HALL 29 MALL 2
Licensing Conference Room

Ben Roberts, Content Director EMEA, License Global, takes a deep dive into the trends and data forecasting shifts in the licensing business for the upcoming year and beyond.

Panel

Ben Roberts, Content Director, EMEA, License Global, UK.

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

In cooperation with

Licensing Magazine

In the framework of

International Kids Licensing Days

Event Highlights
Slovenia Guest of Honour
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Collage and Drawing Hand in Hand (Finding stories through creative play) - Workshop with Ana Maraž and Marta Bartolj

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Workshop Area

Ana Maraž and Marta Bartolj are Slovenia-based illustrators. The workshop offers a creative mix of techniques from both artists. Let’s explore and play with the combination of collage and drawing.

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Panel

Ana Maraž, iIllustrator; Marta Bartolj, illustrator.

Organized by

Slovenian Book Agency

In cooperation with

Slovenian Illustration Center

With the support of

Slovenian Book Agency

In the framework of

Slovenia Guest of Honour

BolognaBookPlus

LuProcesso: the Fairy Tale Winner of the Andersen Prize - Baia delle Favole 2022

HALL 29 MALL 1
AIE Italian Collective Stand, BBPlus

The fairy tale wolf as you've never seen it before. The truth doesn't always match what we've been told... The wolf of fairy tales, tired of being portrayed as the villain, calls upon the most famous authors from Esopo to Disney, from the Brothers Grimm to Andersen, to stand trial. Unexpectedly, as witnesses in favor of the wolf, the protagonists of the great classics of children's literature present themselves: Little Red Riding Hood, the mother of the seven kids, the three little pigs, and many others. Who will win the trial? A new way to reinterpret fairy tales in a modern key and to learn something more about authors of all times

Panel

Ginevra Van Deflor, author; Gabriella De Paoli, Edizioni Astragalo; Giorgio Sommacal, illustrator.

Organized by

Edizioni Astragalo

Authors Café

New Picture Book Pitch: new ideas and stories for publishers

HALL 30
Authors Café

Step into the arena of imagination with Manchester Metropolitan University’s MA Publishing Course. Join ten creative talents battling it out Petra Kucha style, showcasing their captivating picturebook pitches. Your vote has the power to decide the champion. Be part of the thrilling quest for the next great storybook sensation. This session is for publishers, authors and artists who love everything about the Picturebook.

Moderator
Debbie Williams, Programme Leader of Publishing, Manchester Metropolitan University
Panel

Ten students, from the 2024 Student cohort lead by Debbie Williams.

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In cooperation with

WingedChariot

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus
Aldus Up

The Italian General Book Market 2023, with a Focus on the Children's Book Market: Destination Frankfurt

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre

A presentation of the latest available data of the Italian publishing market to foreign operators: sales, titles published, translation rights sold. Followed by an insight on the children’s book market, its growth despite the demographic crisis, the differences among age groups, the role of internationalisation.

Panel

Bruno Giancarli, Research Department, AIE - Associazione Italiana Editori.

Organized by

BBPlus

In cooperation with

AIE - Associazione Italiana Editori

With the support of

ITA-Italian Trade Agency and MAECI-Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

In the framework of

Aldus Up

Event Highlights
Illustrators Café
Awards & Contests

The winner of the Extraordinary Award for an Extraordinary Book

Services Centre
Illustrators Café

Winner The Extraordinary Award... For An Extraordinary Book: Bambini nascosti (Hidden Children), Vànvere edizioni, Italy. Text and illustrations by Franco Matticchio.

The Extraordinary Award for an Extraordinary Book is a special prize by Bologna Children's Book Fair created to acknowledge a title that has touched the Jury in an exceptional way.

Moderator
Marcella Terrusi, Professor, University of Bologna
Panel

Stefania Camilli, Vànvere edizioni; Giorgia Grilli, Professor, University of Bologna.

 

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In the framework of

BolognaRagazzi Awards 2024

Talks & Presentations

The Fabulous Traveller: Geronimo Stilton shares The Wonderful Voyage of Marco Polo with every Chinese child!

Sala Ronda
Services Centre - Wing C

On the occasion of the most important children's publishing event in Italy and seven hundred years since the death of Marco Polo (1324), Atlantyca Entertainment in collaboration with the Italian Institute of Culture in Beijing and the 21st Century Publishing Group announce the forthcoming publication in Chinese of the two-volume Geronimo Stilton book dedicated to Marco Polo: this important publishing project will allow Chinese children to get to know the great Italian traveller  who pioneered the path of cultural exchange between Italy and China. 

Sealing the deal is the signing of an important agreement with Chinese publisher 21 Century Publishing Group: the contract with Atlantyca to publish Geronimo Stilton's two-volume book, dedicated to Marco Polo, from Italian into Chinese.

This publishing project is part of the initiatives promoted by the Directorate General for Public and Cultural Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and the Italian diplomatic Network in China, to celebrate the 700th anniversary of the death of the Venetian traveler-merchant; a truly iconic figure in Italian-Chinese relations.

Moderator
Claudia Mazzucco
Organized by

Atlantyca

In cooperation with

Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Ufficio Culturale Ambasciata d’Italia, Beijing

Book Lovers' Café

Bambini da salvare: Vivian Lamarque in dialogo con Nicola Gardini

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
Book Lovers' Café

Un tema grave: tanti bambini scomparsi sul fondo del Mar Mediterraneo. In Storia con mare, cielo e paura Vivian Lamarque racconta, con consueta lievità, contenuti tragici, accompagnata dal supporto iconografico di Nicola Gardini.

Panel

Vivian Lamarque, autrice; Nicola Gardini, illustratore

Organized by

Salani Editore

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids

The power of audiobooks in developing fandom

HALL 29 MALL 2
Licensing Conference Room

How can an invisible brand touchpoint have a very visible impact on a licensing program? Audiobooks offer a shared experience that can help cultivate and develop the brand’s fandom and serve as a catalyst for much deeper engagement with its audience. The session explores why children (and increasingly parents) are progressively engaged with audiobooks in a meaningful way and the approaches to satisfy their expectations, with also revealing unpublished data.

Moderator
Samantha Loveday, Group Editor, Max Publishing, UK
Panel

Gary Pope, Co-founder Kids Industries and The League Family Marketing, UK.

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

In cooperation with

Licensing Magazine

In the framework of

International Kids Licensing Days

International Bookshop

Book Signing with Koshiro Hata

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
International Bookshop
International Bookshop

Book Signing with Ximo Abadía

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
International Bookshop
Slovenia Guest of Honour

Guided Tour of "And then what happens?" - GoH Illustrator's Exhibition

-
Services Center
Organized by

Slovenia Guest of Honour

Talks & Presentations

IBBY Italia verso il 39° Congresso Internazionale 2024: fateci cominciare dai bambini. I libri come ponti

Sala Minuetto
Services Centre - Wing B
Organized by

IBBY Italia

In cooperation with

IBBY International

Translators Café

Translating comics: translation Workshop

HALL 30
Translators Café
Panel

Laura Bortoluzzi, translator.

Talks & Presentations

Sotto il banco. Ma esistono davvero le fasce d'età?

Sala Melodia
Services Centre - Wing B
Moderator
Paolo Soraci, PDE
Panel

Maria Polita, alias Scaffale Basso, partner del progetto "Sotto il banco" di PDE; Alessia Napolitano, esperta di letteratura per l’infanzia, libreria Radice-Labirinto, Carpi; Nicoletta Bacco, Biblioteca Classense, Ravenna; Valeria Pallotta e Roberta Parrella, responsabili per PDE del progetto "Sotto il banco".

Organized by

PDE

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Storytelling through Drawings (and a few words) - Masterclass with Øyvind Torseter

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Masterclass Area

The creative process of Øyvind Torseter between art, comics and picture books.

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

Panel

Øyvind Torseter, illustrator.

Talks & Presentations

The Folio Club - Guido Sgardoli

Sala Allegretto
Services Centre - Wing C
Moderator
Letizia Bolzani
Organized by

De Agostini Libri

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

India in the Limelight Opening Ceremony: Painting a Picture for a Bright Future for Indian Publishing

HALL 29 MALL 1, A7
India Stand, BBPLUS
Panel

Yuvraj Malik, Director, National Book Trust, India; Jacks Thomas, Guest Director, BolognaBookPlus.

Organized by

BBPlus

In cooperation with

National Book Trust India

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids

"Girl Power" through publishing and licensing

HALL 29 MALL 2
Licensing Conference Room

The theme of "Girl power" is increasingly central in content for children and in the development of aspirational IPs, but literature has always been rich in "strong girls" who serve as role models for entire generations, remaining relevant with their values and character. It's no coincidence that Pippi Longstocking is a brand with a strong following in licensing, while the publishing success of Rebel Girls is the foundation of a brand licensing program still in full evolution.

Panel

Ludvig Kullander, Licensing Manager, The Astrid Lindgren Company, Sweden; Elena Favilli, Board Member, Founder, Chief Creative Officer, Rebel Girls, USA.

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

In cooperation with

Licensing Magazine

In the framework of

International Kids Licensing Days

The Illustrators Survival Corner
Comics

25 cartoons: a comic story - Live painting workshop with Gud

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner

From brainstorming to the finished comic board In this creative workshop with Gud, we will create a multi-handed comic on the wall using all the elements that characterize this language in an explosion of colours, all strictly in black and white.

 

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

 

Panel

GUD, author and comic artist.

In cooperation with

Tunué

In the framework of

Comics Corner

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Book Jackets Portfolio Review - Adriano Attus (Il Sole 24 Ore)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

The Review is only for book covers and not children illustration portfolios. 

 

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

 

In cooperation with

BolognaBookPlus

Talks & Presentations

Con i libri si diventa grandi: i libri e la lettura negli asili nido con il progetto pilota #ioleggoperchéLAB-NIDI. L'impatto della seconda edizione

Sala Bolero
Services Centre - Wing B
Panel

Renata Gorgani, AIE; Claudia Sorlini, Fondazione Cariplo; Gianni Peresson, AIE; Giovanna Malgaroli, Nati per Leggere; Elena Pasoli, Bologna Children's Book Fair.

Organized by

AIE - Associazione Italiana Editori

In cooperation with

Fondazione Cariplo, Nati per Leggere, Bologna Children's Book Fair

Event Highlights
Awards & Contests
Book Lovers' Café

The winners of the BolognaRagazzi Awards 2024: Toddler category

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
Book Lovers' Café

Toddler Winner: Dia de Lua (Moon Day), Jujuba Editora, Brazil, 2023. Text and Illustrations by Renato Moriconi.

Moderator
Marcella Terrusi, Professor, University of Bologna
Panel

Daniela Padilha, publisher, Jujuba Editora; Renato Moriconi, author and illustrator Dia de Lua (Moon Day).

 

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Jorge Mato aka Ca_Teter

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

 Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Illustrators Café

PREMIO ANDERSEN 43: i finalisti del riconoscimento italiano ai libri per ragazzi 2024

Services Centre
Illustrators Café

Uno sguardo alla produzione editoriale dell'anno: le scelte della Giuria del "Premio Andersen - il mondo dell'infanzia", aspettando la proclamazione dei vincitori sabato 25 maggio a Genova.

Organized by

ANDERSEN - La rivista e il premio dei libri per ragazzi

Event Highlights
Authors Café
Awards & Contests
Aldus Up

Stories across media. New forms of reading and storytelling for children from the BolognaRagazzi CrossMedia Awards 2024

HALL 30
Authors Café

Through digital media, children and young adults experience new forms of reading and storytelling, within complex narrative worlds in which books are joined by movies and TV series, webcomics and webnovels, podcasts and audiobooks, immersive and interactive stories. Now in its 4th edition, the BolognaRagazzi CrossMedia Award explores these new forms of storytelling, selecting the best cross-media projects and the most effective screen reading experiences for children and teenagers.

Panel

Warren Buckleitner, editor, Children’s Technology Review; Julie Fox, Founder, Serendipity Animation; Neal Hoskins, Founder, WingedChariot; Beatrice Yong-in Lin, Co-founder, CO.MINT Inc.; Elisa Salamini, Co-founder, ContentMakers and Mamamò.it; Ian Schaapman, CEO, The Mouse Mansion Company BV, The Netherlands; Catalina Holguín, Director, Makina Editorial Biblioteca Digital MakeMake, Colombia. 

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In cooperation with

Mamamò

In the framework of

Aldus Up

BolognaBookPlus
Aldus Up
Artificial Intelligence

Gen Z, AI, and the Search for New Purpose in Publishing and Beyond

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre

The advent of AI and rise of Generation Z are catalyzing sweeping changes in the publishing industry and society more broadly. As AI enables automation that doubles economic efficiencies, it raises profound questions about how to allocate newly freed-up human time and attention. Simultaneously, Gen Z's penchant for questioning established norms is accelerated by AI's instant access to collective knowledge. Literature stands to be reinvigorated as young influencers use AI to enable bold new writing that reexamines fundamental assumptions about how the world operates. The result could be a publishing renaissance built on innovative ideas and original expression. This session will explore how the interplay between AI and Gen Z thinking is shaping everything from publishing houses to educational institutions to democratic governance. Beyond transforming the printed page, these forces promise to redefine learning, literature, and the very purpose of human endeavor. Nadim will look at both the opportunities and ethical challenges presented by AI's broad influence spanning publishing, education, and democracy.

Panel

Nadim Sadek, CEO, Shimmr AI.

Organized by

BBPlus

In the framework of

Aldus Up

Translators Café

Italian Children's Books Published in Japan

HALL 30
Translators Café

Shuko Inada presents an analysis of the trends in the translation of Italian children's books in Japan, along side some titles recently introduced on the Japanese market and the translators who have particularly distinguished themselves in this field.

Panel

Shuko Inada, librarian, Italian Culture Institute of Tokyo.

Organized by

JBBY, Japan Foundation

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Paolo Rui

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Organized by

Autori di Immagini Association

Event Highlights
The Illustrators Survival Corner

The Original Art Exhibition Presentation

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Masterclass Area

An in-depth exploration of the Society of Illustrators' rich history, impactful work, and insights into the esteemed juried Original Art Show. Learn about its history, evolution, and medalists.

 

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

 

Panel

Arabelle Liepold, Executive Director, Society of Illustrators; Steven Compton, Director of Exhibitions and Permanent Collection, Society of Illustrators; Lindsay Compton, Director of Programs and Partnerships, Society of Illustrators; Clare Pernice, Children’s Programs Consultant & Saturday Stories Coordinator, Society of Illustrators.

Organized by

Society of Illustrators

In cooperation with

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In the framework of

The Original Art Exhibition

Book Lovers' Café

Toddlers, nidi d'Infanzia e PNRR. Un libro, tanti libri, un'esperienza

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
Book Lovers' Café

I libri cartonati per i piccolissimi, detti Toddlers, sono gli oggetti culturali che ogni Nido d’Infanzia dovrebbe allineare sugli scaffali più bassi delle biblioteche, a portata di bambino. Bologna Children's Book Fair, dal 2024, li ha eletti a categoria permanente del BolognaRagazzi Award. In Accademia Drosslmeier li studiamo da tempo. Il PNRR prevede la costruzione di nuovi nidi e noi ci auguriamo che accolgano i libri. Adriana, il libro che viene presentato, racconta la lunga lotta combattuta da Adriana Lodi per ottenere l'istituzione dei nidi, nei quali avrebbe certamente voluto l'adozione dei libri.

Panel

Grazia Gotti, Accademia Drosselmeier; Alessandra Mastrangelo, Sistema Bibliotecario Bergamo; Petra Paoli, Accademia Drosselmeier; Tiziana Roversi, Minerva edizioni.

Organized by

Accademia Drosselmeier

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Art Schools, Twenty years later.Education, pictures, comics and storytelling. Round-table

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Workshop Area

Twenty years after the introduction of the Comics and Illustration courses at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna, we talk about education, pictures, comics and storytelling with some international art schools.

 

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

 

Panel

Mario Rivelli, Accademia di Belle Arti Bologna; Martin Salisbury, Cambridge School of Art; Frédérique Bertrand, École Supérieure d’Art de Lorraine; Bernd Mölck-Tassel, Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften.

Event Highlights
Illustrators Café
Slovenia Guest of Honour
Awards & Contests

Chinese Excellence in Children's Illustration 2024: Meeting with the Jury & Prize giving Ceremony

Services Centre
Illustrators Café

The exhibition "Chinese Excellence in Children’s Illustration" showcases the best contemporary Chinese illustrators selected each year by a different Jury of leading Chinese and international experts, to present them to the international publishing community at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. The exhibition 2024 (HALL 30, B46-C33) and the catalogue feature the 15 artists selected by the Jury: 3 winners and 12 finalists.

Moderator
Marcella Terrusi, Professor, University of Bologna
Panel

Elena Pasoli, Director, Bologna Children's Book Fair; Sara Wang, CEO, Sìdee Cultural Communication; Debbie Bibo, literary agent and editorial producer of children’s picture books and illustrated books, USA-Italy; Loïc Boyer, freelance graphic designer, Founder, Cligne Cligne Magazine, France; Anna Castagnoli, author, illustrator, researcher and collector of books for children, Italy; Hai Fei, publisher and writer, China; Wang Lijun, curator and Founder, China Picture Book Fair and the Zhang Leping Picture Book Award, China; Yang Zhong, PhD, Associate Professor, Central Academy of Fine Arts, Director, Department of Culture and Urbanism School of Urban Design, Director, Picture Book Creation Workshop and Master’s Degree Tutor, China; Zhang Mingzhou, Founding Director, Lifetree Culture Promotion Center, Executive Director, Publishers Association of China, China.

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair, China South Publishing & MediaGroup, Sìdee Cultural Communication

In cooperation with

China Publishers

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Licensing Portfolio Review - ANIMATION: Julie Fox (Gaumont Animation)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Licensing Portfolio Area

 Event upon reservation only

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Lucie Luddington (Luddington Creative)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Authors Café
Comics

First times: scouting and publishing debuts in contemporary comics

HALL 30
Authors Café

Publishing a debut is always a risk and an investment. Even in the current phase of growth in the comics industry, it remains crucial (particularly for small publishers) to be able to support the work of artists capable of standing the test of time and the editorial trends. Four publishers that are tackling this issue with different and complementary approaches: Coconino Press, Fandango, The Hoochie Coochie, Misma Éditions and Rotopol Press discuss their scouting policies, where to find and how to promote a good debut and how to raise new talents.

Panel

Gautier Ducatez, editor and Founder, The Hoochie Coochie, France; Guillaume and Damien Filliatre Borja, editors and Founders, Misma Éditions, France; Giovanni Ferrara, Editorial Director, Coconino Press - Fandango, Italy; Rita Fürstenau, Editorial Director, Rotopol Press, Germany; Matteo Gaspari, ADD Editore, Italy.

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In cooperation with

Hamelin

In the framework of

Comics Corner

PublisHer

Coffee & Networking

HALL 29, B44-C41
PublisHer Area
Organized by

PublisHer

In cooperation with

Bologna Children's Book Fair

BolognaBookPlus

English Language Exports: a Threat and an Opportunity. Is Italy Next?

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre

Andre Breedt, Nielsen Book will present data about English language book sales in European markets, as well as highlighting global trends that translate, and those that don't.

Panel

Andre Breedt, Managing Director, Nielsen Book; Enrico Turrin, Deputy Director, FEP - Federation of European Publishers.

Organized by

BBPlus

International Bookshop

Book Signing Zongxi Deng

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
International Bookshop
International Bookshop

Book Signing with Neil Packer

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
International Bookshop
BolognaBookPlus

Hoepli: A Non-fiction Publisher in the New Millennium

HALL 29 MALL 1
AIE Italian Collective Stand, BBPlus

A short history of Hoepli as a publisher and bookseller in Milan with a specific focus on the post-Covid years and the new challenges.

Panel

Elisa Dicecca, Rights Office, Hoepli; Marco Sbrozi, Editorial Director, Hoepli.

Organized by

Hoepli

Translators Café

I write... You illustrate... We translate: tales of (extra)ordinary translation between Italy, Spain and Argentina

HALL 30
Translators Café
Panel

Lola Barceló, Kalandraka Italia; Gloria Bazzocchi, University of Bologna; Alice Keller, author; Carolina Musa, Libros Silvestres; Raffaella Tonin, University of Bologna.

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Eric Telfort (Rhode Island School of Design)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Shelley Ann Jackson and Ella Beech (Cambridge School of Art, Anglia Ruskin University)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids

Spotlight on gaming. "Talking Tom & Friends": evolution from gaming app to entertainment phenomenon

HALL 29 MALL 2
Licensing Conference Room

Come and discover the evolution of "Talking Tom & Friends" as a case study of excellence in the gaming industry. From a "talk back" app launched in 2010 to a globally recognized entertainment IP, continually conquering new market areas. Today, this versatile and pioneering brand tells its story through various categories, including mobile games, animated video content, publishing, entertainment parks, licensing, merchandising, and more. In this panel, you will uncover the secrets of the enduring success of this IP, how to develop partnerships with other brands, and how to continue year after year with the main objective of the app: creating fun experiences for its loyal fanbase.

Panel

Tadeja Irmančnik, Global brand partnerships & Co-brandings, Public Relations Manager, Project Manager, Talking Tom & Friends, Slovenia.

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

In cooperation with

Licensing Magazine

In the framework of

International Kids Licensing Days

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus
The Illustrators Survival Corner
Awards & Contests

Talking Pictures: Ukraine's Contemporary Visual Book Production - Masterclass

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Workshop Area

Talking Pictures, a project curated by Steven Guarnaccia and Hamelin, investigates the best international visual book production, seeking innovation in illustration and publishing, and promoting alla forms of experimentation in picture books. For BolognaBookPlus, Talking Pictures focuses on the Ukrainian visual book scene. Ukraine has a very important and still too little-known tradition in the field of printmaking, illustration and design. Its visual books production is of the highest quality, and now seems like the right time to showcase it. This masterclass explores this production, highlighting both its historical perspectives and new trends in the contemporary market.

 

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

 

Panel

Anna Ivanenko, Yevheniia Polosina, Studio Serigraph; Andriy Lesiv, Romana Romanyshyn, Art Studio Agrafka.

Organized by

BolognaBookPlus

In cooperation with

Hamelin, Steven Guarnaccia, International Book Arsenal Festival Kyiv

Talks & Presentations

"Lettori si diventa": Massimiliano Ossini e Sofia Gallo con due storie di crescita e amicizia raccontano la natura e la montagna

Sala Melodia
Services Centre - Wing B
Moderator
Valentina Poli
Organized by

Salani Editore

Book Lovers' Café

Annuncio dei vincitori del Premio ORBIL, il premio dei librai per ragazzi

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
Book Lovers' Café

Il Premio ORBIL: svelati i vincitori dell'edizione 2024. I librai dell'Associazione librerie indipendenti per ragazzi (ALIR) hanno letto, si sono confrontati e hanno selezionato i titoli che, nel panorama dell'editoria infantile, meritano un riconoscimento per la loro qualità.

Organized by

ALIR

Artificial Intelligence
Talks & Presentations

AI in teoria e in pratica: limiti e possibilità dello strumento del futuro

Sala Notturno
Services Centre - Wing D
Moderator
Manuela Salvi
Panel

Giacomo Giaquinto, narratore e scrittore; Gianluca De Ninno, antropologo e studioso di Intelligenza Artificiale.

Organized by

ICWA

Event Highlights
Authors Café

Reading for a Healthy Planet: Inspiring Children’s Books to Help Achieve a Sustainable Future

HALL 30
Authors Café

Children's books about sustainability serve as a powerful tool to introduce global issues to young audiences, inspiring them to become active participants in creating a sustainable future. This session, composed of publishers, scientists, authors, and international advocates will look at how children’s books can help convey complex ideas about the impact of our actions on the environment and empower kids to start making a difference in their communities from an early age. The panel discussion is complemented by an exhibition of some of the best environmentally themed children's books from all over the world (HALL 30). This event is in support of the Sustainable Development Goals, a framework for a better future for all by the United Nations. Inspired by the SDG Book Club, a collaboration of the United Nations, the International Publishers Association, the Bologna Children's Book Fair, the European & International Booksellers Federation, the International Board on Books for Young People, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.

Moderator
Ed Nawotka, Senior International and Bookselling Editor, Publishers Weekly, USA
Panel

Irina Lumelsky, United Nations Publications; Karine Pansa, President, International Publishers Association; Inês Castel-Branco, Publisher, Akiara Books; Elisa Palazzi, Children's Book Author and Researcher, Professor of Climate Physics at the University of Torino;  Ferdinando Boero, President, Dohrn Foundation.

Organized by

United Nations, Bologna Children's Book Fair

In cooperation with

IPA - International Publishers Association

In the framework of

Sustainable Development Goal Book Club

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Nature in the Art of Alice Melvin - Workshop

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Workshop Area

The British illustrator Alice Melvin - author of Mouse on the River and Mouse's Wood: A Year in Nature (Il fiume di Topino, Il bosco di Topino, Ippocampo Edizioni) - reveals the magic of her art and her deep connection with nature in a live painting session.

This is a watercolor workshop, participants are asked to bring their own watercolor materials (colors, paper, brushes, pots, ect).

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

 

Panel

Alice Melvin, artist.

Organized by

L'ippocampo Edizioni

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Sophie Benini Pietromarchi

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Talks & Presentations

Scritto per te: una passeggiata tra i libri d'epoca

Sala Intermezzo
Costituzione Entrance
Moderator
Maria Polita
Panel

Cristina Petit

Organized by

Pulce edizioni

In cooperation with

Solferino

Event Highlights
Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids

Spotlight on gaming. Gaming crossing Publishing and Licensing: New Opportunities

HALL 29 MALL 2
Licensing Conference Room

Gaming, along with publishing and audiovisual, is clearly one of the sources of original children's content that is then licensed to develop successful IPs. Gaming is also one of the media from which audiovisual producers and publishers acquire content to develop animation, live action, featured films and book series. Today gaming is central to communicating with a young audience that is increasingly fragmented and distracted and distant from mainstream. In this panel we discuss with some of the international protagonists of the gaming industry about their approach to connecting worlds such as licensing, audiovisual and publishing.

Moderator
Ben Roberts, Conten Director, EMEA, License Global, UK
Panel

Gianluca Marani, CEO, Funny Tales, Italy; Fèe Heyer, Head of Global Licensing & Partnerships, Devolver Digital, UK; Thierry Baujard, Co-founder, Spielfabrique, Germany.

 

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

In cooperation with

Licensing Magazine

In the framework of

International Kids Licensing Days

Event Highlights
Awards & Contests

The Chinese Excellence in Children's Illustration 2024: Opening Ceremony and Exhibition Tour

-
HALL 30, B46-C33

The exhibition "Chinese Excellence in Children’s Illustration" showcases the best contemporary Chinese illustrators selected each year by a different Jury of leading Chinese and international experts, to present them to the international publishing community at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. The exhibition (HALL 30, B46-C33) and the catalogue feature the 15 artists selected by the Jury 2024: 3 winners and 12 finalists.

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair, China South Publishing & MediaGroup, Sìdee Cultural Communication

In cooperation with

China Publishers

BolognaBookPlus

Accessibility QA for Ebooks: Are Automatic Tools Enough?

HALL 29 MALL 1
AIE Italian Collective Stand, BBPlus

Starting from June 2025, the European Accessibility Act will require all products and services on the European market to meet accessibility requirements. In this presentation, Fondazione LIA will showcase its services to support your company in its journey to comply with the accessibility standards.

Organized by

Fondazione LIA

International Bookshop

Book Signing with Kailee Ngan

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
International Bookshop
BolognaBookPlus

How to Build a D2C Community One Step at a Time

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre
Panel

Sarah Arbuthnot, Supadu.

Organized by

BBPlus

Event Highlights
Illustrators Café

IBBY - International Board on Books for Young People: Annual Press Conference

Services Centre
Illustrators Café

The IBBY Press Conference presents the work of IBBY throughout the year and highlights its most important events, including the 39th IBBY World Congress (Trieste, Italy, 30 Aug - 1 Sept, 2024) and the 2024 International Children's Book Day. It is also the much-expected occasion to discover the winners of the 2024 Hans Christian Andersen Award and the IBBY Reading Promotions Awards.

Panel

Sylvia Vardell, President, IBBY; Carolina Ballester, Executive Director, IBBY; Valerie Coghlan, President, Bookbird Inc.; Yukiko Hiromatsu, JBBY Board Member; Elisabetta Lippolis, Vice President, IBBY Italy and 2024 IBBY World Congress Chair; Junko Yokota, Jury President, JBBY Reading Promotion Award; Liz Page, Jury President, 2024 Hans Christian Andersen Award.

Organized by

IBBY - International Board on Books for Young People

The Illustrators Survival Corner
Aldus Up
Artificial Intelligence

La proprietà intellettuale nell'era dell'Intelligenza Artificiale: sfide e ripercussioni - Masterclass

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Masterclass Area

Le leggi sul diritto d’autore sono progettate per proteggere le opere create dall'uomo, ma cosa succede quando l’Intelligenza Artificiale genera opere originali? Le azioni delle macchine di AI possono dar luogo a violazioni dei diritti di proprietà intellettuale, e l’enorme numero di immagini, testi e musica generati sta sollevando una serie di domande e di sfide.

 

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

 

Panel

Beatrice Cunegatti, avvocato, Fondatrice, IT Law Firm - Studio Legale Cunegatti.

In cooperation with

IT Law Firm - Studio Legale Cunegatti

In the framework of

Aldus Up

Translators Café

The author and his/her rights: dynamics in contract practices in publishing

HALL 30
Translators Café

More than two years have passed since the copyright law, implementing EU Directive 2019/790, mandates informational obligations and "adequate and proportionate remuneration based on the value of rights" in contracts for the exploitation of copyrighted works. How are contractual practices adapting, and how can we promote change? What are our objectives? More broadly, how is authorial work transforming in publishing? A necessary shared reflection among various types of authors: writers, illustrators and translators.

Panel

Lia Bruna, national steering committee, Strade; Marco Dazzani, Vice President, ICWA; Flavio Rosati, President, AI; Isabella Zani, contract advisor, Strade.

In cooperation with

Strade

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Kike Mendoza (Torre i mar ediciones / Imaquinario)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Mónica Bergna (Alboroto Ediciones)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

The Illustrators Survival Corner

The Original Art Exhibition Tour

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - The Original Art Exhibition

Delve into the Original Art Exhibition, gaining exclusive insights into the 2023 medal winners and their acclaimed work.

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Event Highlights
Awards & Contests
Book Lovers' Café

The winners of the BolognaRagazzi Awards 2024: Opera Prima and New Horizons categories

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
Book Lovers' Café

Opera Prima winner: Ko darīt, ja esi kails pilsētā (What to Do If You Are Naked in a City?), Janis Roze Publishers, Latvia, 2023. Text and Illustrations by Aleksandra Runde.

New Horizons SPECIAL JURY PRIZE Winner: 回憶見 (See You in Memories), Pen So Artlab, Hong Kong, China, 2022. Text and Illustrations by Pen So.

Moderator
Marcella Terrusi, Professor, University of Bologna
Panel

Renate Punka, Managing Director, Janis Roze Publishers, Latvia; Pen So, author and illustrator, 回憶見 (See You in Memories).

 

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

Talks & Presentations

"Lettori si diventa": leggere Fantasy per capire e parlare dei grandi temi di oggi con Alessia Denaro e Marco Ponti

Sala Melodia
Services Centre - Wing B
Moderator
Pierdomenico Baccalario
Organized by

Salani Editore

Talks & Presentations

Buon Compleanno Pulce!

Sala Intermezzo
Costituzione Entrance
Panel

Cristina Petit; Elisa Mazzoli; Letizia Bolzani; Francesca Tancini; Alessandra Sconosciuto, Ars in Fabula; Manuela Draghetti, Fondazione Bottega Finzioni.

Organized by

Pulce edizioni

Event Highlights
Authors Café

Data Release and Case Analysis of the Chinese Children's Book Market

HALL 30
Authors Café
Organized by

China Publishers

In cooperation with

Bologna Children's Book Fair

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Licensing Portfolio Review - ANIMATION: Valentina Canclini (Animoka Studios)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Licensing Portfolio Area

 Event upon reservation only

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Barbara McClintock

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids

Spotlight on gaming. Games for movies, movies for games

HALL 29 MALL 2
Licensing Conference Room

The appointment is dedicated to exploring the intersection between animation and gaming, towards a new future, thanks to the adventure of AL-ONE: a team of professionals driven by passion and creativity, the adoption of cutting-edge technologies ensuring high-quality standards, the ability to create and narrate captivating and intriguing stories for a wide range of audiences.

Panel

Alan Vele, CEO and Producer, AL-ONE, Italy.

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

In cooperation with

Licensing Magazine

In the framework of

International Kids Licensing Days

Translators Café

Picture books across borders: best practices to promote children's literature internationally

HALL 30
Translators Café

Promoting Italian literature and illustrations abroad: the opportunities available to foreign and Italian publishers, the different paths through the main Italian institutional actors, along with the Children's Book Fair. A discussion on the measures in place for the international dissemination of children's and young adult productions during the industry's most important international fair.

Panel

Simona Battiloro, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Adriano Monti Buzzetti, President, Cepell; Joan de Sola, Institut Ramon Llull; Elena Pasoli, Director, Bologna Children's Book Fair; Agnes Vogt, Nederlands Letterenfonds; Francesca Segato and Della Passarelli, facilitators, ADEI.

ADEI advisors and coordinators of the Gruppo Editrici e Editori Ragazze e Ragazzi will moderate: Francesca Segato, Camelozampa; Della Passarelli, Sinnos

Organized by

ADEI

BolognaBookPlus

Dialoghi junior: la Bussola Letteraria per orientarsi in libreria

HALL 29 MALL 1
AIE Italian Collective Stand, BBPlus
Panel

Camilla Rossi, Marketing and Comunicazione, Emme Promozione; Paola Mambelli, Sviluppo Editori e Grandi Clienti, Emme Promozione.

Organized by

Emme Promozione

International Bookshop

Book Signing with Giovanni Colaneri

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
International Bookshop
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Mafalda is still a little rebel baby, as she turns 60 - Masterclass

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Masterclass Area

Over the last 60 years, her ironic and tenacious intolerance to injustices encourages us not to turn our back on evils of the world. Her unconventional voice makes us smile and reflect.

 

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

 

Panel

Marco Figini; Simonetta Bitasi; Valentina De Poli.

Organized by

Magazzini Salani

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Angèle Cambournac (Seuil Jeunesse)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

 Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

BolognaBookPlus

Supporting a Trinity of Freedoms: to Express; to Publish; to Read

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre

The pressures on who can say what, who can read what, or what is acceptable to be published are increasing around the world. Organisations representing the international book sector have come together to demonstrate the intrinsically linked freedoms at the heart of the book sector: the freedom of expression, the freedom to publish, and the freedom to read. This session will look at the pressures authors, booksellers, librarians and publishers face and what the sector can do to ensure these freedoms are enjoyed by everyone. 

Panel

Kristenn Einarsson, Chair, IPA Freedom to Publish Committee; Enrica Manenti, Librarian, Modena; Barbara Hoepli, Vice President Hoepli, Publishing House and Bookshop, Milan; Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief, Publishing Perspectives.

Organized by

BBPlus

In cooperation with

IPA - International Publishers Association

Book Lovers' Café

Resistenza in pagina

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
Book Lovers' Café

Due libri, due diverse forme di narrazione raccontano una pagina determinante della storia del nostro paese, la Resistenza, fatta di scelte e di coraggio. Geografie precise ci portano da Torino all’Appennino Tosco-Emiliano fino a Lampedusa, in un viaggio lungo tutto lo stivale.

Moderator
Silvana Sola, pedagogista
Panel

Daniele Aristarco, autore; Laura Pezzino, giornalista. 

Organized by

Mondadori, Il Battello a Vapore

Event Highlights
Illustrators Café

Silent Book Contest 2024 - Gianni De Conno Award. Announcement of the finalists

Services Centre
Illustrators Café

Presentation of the finalists of the 2024 Silent Book Contest - Gianni De Conno Award, the first international competition dedicated to the wordless book, this year in its 11th edition.

Panel

Patrizia Zerbi, publisher and Editorial Director, Carthusia Edizioni; Elena Pasoli, Director, Bologna Children's Book Fair; Walter Fochesato, President of the Jury and expert in the history of children's literature; Emanuela Bussolati, illustrator; Eros Miari, consultant, Turin Book Fair; Marco Gillo, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Corriere della Sera; Sara Wang, CEO, Niu Niu Culture Limited; Sonja Riva, journalist, Swiss radio and television; Lorena De Vita, Head of the Culture sector, BPER Banca.

Organized by

Carthusia Edizioni

In cooperation with

Bologna Children's Book Fair, Salone Internazionale del Libro di Torino, Comune di Mulazzo

With the support of

BPER Banca

Event Highlights
Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids
Awards & Contests

Announcement of the Bologna Licensing Awards winners

HALL 29 MALL 2
Licensing Conference Room

For the 7th edition, the Bologna Licensing Awards will be announced at a dedicated event at the heart of the Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids. The award is a unique achievement, as it rewards the most innovative projects based on children and teen brands and products at an international level.

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

In cooperation with

Licensing Magazine

Book Lovers' Café

Francia-Italia. Due culture, due editori, tanti libri… Lo stato dell'arte nella filiera del libro per ragazzi

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
Book Lovers' Café

  The event will be held at the Bookseller Lounge (Gallery Hall 25-26).

Moderator
Élodie Ruhier, Institut Français Italia; Fortuna Nappi, Presidente, ALIR.
Panel

Giulia Rizzo, Vice Direttrice editoriale, Terre di Mezzo; Eleonora Armaroli, editor e traduttrice, Terre di Mezzo; Thierry Magnier, Direttore, Éditions Thierry Magnier.

The Illustrators Survival Corner

How To Draw Bugs - Workshop with Yuval Zommer

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Workshop Area

Join award winning illustrator and environmentalist Yuval Zommer for a fun creative workshop. Yuval is the creator of the best selling "Big Books" nature series, which is published in over 30 languages. In this session Yuval Zommer will share with you his approach to creating characters, as well as his insights and experiences in producing non fiction.

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Panel

Yuval Zommer, illustrator.

Organized by

Gallucci editore

Talks & Presentations

Meeting with 2024 Andersen Award Shortlist Author Lee Geum-yi: The Allure of Korean Children's and YA Literature and the Future of K Contents

Sala Vivace
Services Centre - Wing D

This event, hosted by children's literature critic KIM Inae Sujung, talks with Lee Geum-yi, 2024 Andersen Award Shortlisted Author.

Lee Guem-yi made her literary debut in 1984. For the past 40-years, Lee has been a prolific writer in the genre of children's and YA books. Until in 1990s, children were mainly the object of enlightenment in Korean children's literature, but she portrayed the lives of children as they were. She dealt with serious issues such as the discrepancy between the haves and have-nots, family breakdown, and children being neglected caused by rapid industrialization, development and IMF crisis in her works. And also her works has become deeper and more diverse, addressing issues such as sexual violence, gender, and Korean history.

She has been recognized as one of the most beloved writers of our time, with some of her novels on the bestseller lists and some works included in school textbooks. She has constantly challenged herself by experimenting with different literary genres and has strived to understand and meet the expectations of her readers.

We will hear in-depth stories about Lee's literature and the allure of Korean children's and YA literature.

Moderator
KIM Inae Sujung
Panel

KIM Inae Sujung; Lee Geum-yi.

Organized by

Changbi Publishers, Inc.

In cooperation with

Munhakdongne, Sakyejul, Bamtee

Under the auspices of

KPIPA and KBBY

Talks & Presentations

Musica, voce e movimento per crescere insieme.

Sala Allegretto
Services Centre - Wing C
Moderator
Susanna Soncin, bibliotecaria esperta di libri e musica
Panel

Dott. Costantino Panza, pediatra; Anna Pedrazzini, Grazia Di Leuce, Fuad Aziz, Lorenzo Tozzi e Giulia Zucchini, autori, Curci Young.

Organized by

Edizioni Curci

The Illustrators Survival Corner
Comics

Portfolio Review - MISMA

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

The Review is only for Comics/YA portfolios
Upon reservation only. Book your place at The Illustrators Survival Corner desk on Monday morning

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Sandra Feldman (Leetra)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

 Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Event Highlights
Authors Café
Comics

The Italian factor: How to Build a Career in Comics and Illustration in the US. A Conversation with Bianca Bagnarelli, Matteo Berton, Sarah Mazzetti

HALL 30
Authors Café

From Bologna to the cover of The New York Times: what opportunities exist for young comic artists and illustrators seeking careers overseas? How does one secure positions with some of the largest American magazines? This panel provides a practical guide for those aiming to launch international careers, drawing from the experiences of three young Italian talents who, starting in Bologna, are making names for themselves in the USA.

Panel

Bianca Bagnarelli, comics artist and illustrator, Italy; Matteo Berton, comics artist and illustrator, Italy; Sarah Mazzetti, comics artist and illustrator, Italy; Arabelle Liepold, Executive Director, Society of Illustrators, USA; Maria Russo, Editor at Large, Union Square Kids, USA.

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In cooperation with

Hamelin

In the framework of

Comics Corner

BolognaBookPlus

5.3 Billion Readers: the Invisible Global Digital Opportunity

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre

In 2024 there are 8.1 billion people on the planet and 5.3 billion of them are online, using a device that could be used to read/listen to digitally-published content, yet many publishers are still partying like its 1999. Or 2010. In 2010 then were just 53 million internet users across the whole of Africa. Today there are over 600 million, and the continent is still only at 44% internet penetration. By comparison, the USA has just 312 million people online. The European Union has only 398 million internet users. In Asia, Indonesia has 212 million people online, Bangladesh 130 million, Pakistan 101 million, and India 8333 million.

Panel

Giacomo D'Angelo, publisher, TNPS and CEO, StreetLib.

Organized by

BBPlus

The Illustrators Survival Corner

A Visual Poem. Writing with a Poet’s Eye for Picture Book Illustrators - Masterclass

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Masterclass Area

From Tomi Ungerer to Maurice Sendak, an exploration of a series of examples to investigate how the brevity and sharpness of poetry can enhance the writing of picture books. Poetry can make a picture book stand out, it layers mood, tone, rhythm and symbolism into the story, it can also help express complex and subtle themes, such as identity, belonging, fear and joy, appealing to both children and adults. Finally, rhyme, repetition and alliteration help advance the narrative.

 

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

 

Panel

Neal Hoskins, author and lecturer, Manchester Metropolitan University.

In cooperation with

Manchester Metropolitan University

Book Lovers' Café

Una parola molto larga

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
Book Lovers' Café

"Famiglia" è una parola ricca di significati e, come una fisarmonica, può allargarsi o restringersi creando accordi e sfumature unici. Giusi Quarenghi dà il via a una riflessione intima e profonda sul potere delle parole nel definire identità, ruoli e relazioni. Le illustrazioni sono affidate al talentuoso Giovanni Colaneri.

Moderator
Federica Iacobelli, scrittrice e sceneggiatrice
Panel

Giusi Quarenghi, autrice; Giovanni Colaneri, autore e illustratore.

Organized by

Franco Cosimo Panini

Event Highlights
Illustrators Café

L'occhio del mondo: 12 Independent Picture Book Publishers from Around the World

Services Centre
Illustrators Café

"L'occhio del mondo", Italian leg of L'œil du monde, involves 12 independent picture book publishers from around the world: A Buen Paso (Spain), Bakame (Rwanda), Baobab (Czech Republic), Jaimimage (South Korea), Magikon (Norway), MeMo (France), One Stroke (Japan), Petra Ediciones (Mexico), Planeta Tangerina (Portugal), Tara Books (India), Topipittori (Italy), and Wytwórnia (Poland). Twelve publishers as diverse as the countries they are from, but united by a common vision of childhood. Created in 2023 by Éditions MeMo, L'œil du monde celebrates a year of activities in libraries, public schools, and associations in every one of the twelve countries. This round table is the opportunity to present the results of the project, and reflect on the role of independent publishing in an increasingly multilingual world. L'occhio del mondo, Italian leg of L'œil du monde, co-financed by the "Creative Europe" project of the EU. First created by Éditions MeMo, L'occhio del mondo is curated by Topipittori and Hamelin.

Panel

Paolo Canton, Topipittori, Italy; Tereza Horváthová, Baobab, Czech Republic; Magdalena Kłos-Podsiadło, Wytwórnia, Poland; Christine Morault, Éditions MeMo, France; Ilaria Tontardini, Hamelin, Italy.

Organized by

Éditions MeMo, Topipittori, Hamelin

In cooperation with

Settore Biblioteche e Welfare culturale, Comune di Bologna

With the support of

Creative Europe Programme

In the framework of

BOOM! Crescere nei libri

Event Highlights
Authors Café
Slovenia Guest of Honour
Aldus Up
Artificial Intelligence

Higher-level reading, AI and Book publishing: the Ljubljana Reading Manifesto

HALL 30
Authors Café

Digitalization is one of the fastest accelerators of change in human history. The World Wide Web, social media and the explosive growth of English as a global language of communication connect us across geographical and linguistic boundaries; thanks to the unprecedented development of natural sciences, we are looking into the deepest darknesses of the universe and exploring the secrets of the human genome; even more so, we have developed virtually intelligent machines that could immeasurably accelerate scientific development in the coming decades and change the current rules in the process of creating textual content. But we also live in a time when stupidity and vulgarity are not only on public display but are becoming a political virtue, and social media enclose us in bubbles where we lose sense of the differences between facts and beliefs, arguments and biases, ideologies and scientific methods. How to understand such a complex, fluid and entangled world? And how does book publishing fit into all of this? How to communicate all these complexities in book formats without getting lost in simplifications? And what role does higher level reading play in understanding the complexity of today's world? Is it an obscure intellectual technique that is becoming obsolete, or is it something that cannot be replaced by a range of new media activities, and we need to rethink its position both in publishing and in the cultural landscape as a whole?.

Moderator
Miha Kovač, Slovenian curator
Panel

Karine Pansa, President, International Publishers Association; Kristenn Einarsson, CEO, World Expression Forum; Christoph Bläsi, University of Mainz and Aldus Up; Luis González, Fundación Germán Sánchez Ruipérez, Aldus Up.

 

Organized by

JAK - Slovenian Book Agency

In the framework of

Slovenia Guest of Honour, Aldus Up

Tuesday 09 April 2024

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids

Il "trend nostalgia" dal broadcasting al licensing. Il caso di Grisù

HALL 29 MALL 2
Licensing Conference Room

Il "nostalgia trend" è uno dei più importanti da seguire nell'attuale periodo. Le IP, che hanno costruito nel tempo una fanbase che attraversa più generazioni, tornano in televisione per conquistare nuovi target di bambini e ragazzi, con un richiamo ai genitori, oltre al target family, che ne ricordano le precedenti versioni. Una sfida per riposizionare contenuti e marchi, generando un nuovo appeal senza perderne l'originaria identità. In questo panel un confronto con un broadcaster e un produttore sullo sviluppo di una IP classica dell'immaginario collettivo, Grisù, insieme a un piano licensing volto a dare un nuovo posizionamento a un grande classico.

Panel

Silvia D'Archivio, Licensing Brand Manager, Mondo TV S.p.A., Italia; Annita Romanelli, Head of Animation and Kids Drama Production, Rai Kids, Italia.

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

In cooperation with

Licensing Magazine

In the framework of

International Kids Licensing Days

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Licensing Portfolio Review - STATIONERY: Lorenzo Zappa (Pigna)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Licensing Portfolio Area

 Event upon reservation only

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

The Illustrators Survival Corner

How to Create a Picture Book: A Showcase by Renato Moriconi - Masterclass

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Masterclass Area

Award-winning Brazilian author Renato Moriconi will talk about the process of making his two recent picture books, Dia de Sol and Dia de Lua (Winner of the BRAW 2024 Toddler Books). He’ll discuss the books’ concepts and aspects, such as the importance and impact of style and technique and the narrative role of the elements that compose the whole book among other things.

 

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

 

Panel

Renato Moriconi, author.

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids

Anime and Anniversaries. Yu-Gi-Oh! Case History

HALL 29 MALL 2
Licensing Conference Room

The 25th Anniversary of Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game is the first of a series of events at IKLD - International Kids Licensing Days, dedicated to the anniversaries of major international brands. On this occasion, we will also discuss in detail how to optimise anniversaries to promote and strengthen IP awareness and licensing programmes, as explained by one of the major international key players.

Panel

Jennifer Coleman, Vice President Marketing & Licensing, Konami Cross Media, USA.

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

In cooperation with

Licensing Magazine

In the framework of

International Kids Licensing Days

The Illustrators Survival Corner
Comics

Between the Lines: Editorial Illustration for Children and Young Adults. - Workshop with Julia Kluge

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Workshop Area

Simplify a text to its essence and transform the idea into an illustration. With some creative tricks, the illustrator Julia Kluge will guide participants in creating metaphors and visual associations, encouraging them to think outside the box and utilize experimental techniques to transform words into images.

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Panel

Julia Kluge, illustrator.

In the framework of

Comics Corner

Talks & Presentations

Buon compleanno Lupo! Dieci anni di successi tra libri e cartoni animati

Sala Allegretto
Services Centre - Wing C
Moderator
Marcella Terrusi
Panel

Massimo Pellegrino, Direttore Editoriale, Gribaudo; Gauthier Auzou, Presidente, Groupe Auzou Editions; Orianne Lallemand, autrice di Lupo; Éléonore Thuillier, illustratrice di Lupo.

Organized by

Gribaudo Editore

Authors Café

PISA in Bologna. How to Fight Low Reading Skills

HALL 30
Authors Café

Most professionals in the book industry will be aware of declining reading skills all over Europe. PISA results are the scientific proof that there is a downward trend, sometimes referred to as the reading crisis. And while Bologna is full of great new books each year, the question remains: what if no one reads them? What if books in the future will be something of the past? Reading promotion could be a solution. But who is responsible? Can publishers take a role in reading promotion, and if so: which one? During this panel discussion reading promoters from inside and outside the publishing industry will shed their light on this question. Along the way, you will learn more about how reading promotion can be most impactful.

Moderator
Daan Beeke, Network Manager EURead, Stichting Lezen
Panel

Elaina Ryan, CEO, Children's Books Ireland; Lovisa Fhager Logothetis, Secretary General, The Bonnier Family Foundation; Anna Zdrojewska-Żywiecka, CEO, Mamania/Relacja Publishing Group Ltd. 

Organized by

EURead

With the support of

Children's Books Ireland, The Bonnier Family Foundation, Mamania/Relacja Publishing Group

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Sergio Ruzzier

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

 Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

Self-Publishing Day Two

Sala Concerto
Services Centre - Wing D

Pre-registration required on BBPlus website.

How to participate.

Organized by

BBPlus

In cooperation with

Argentovivo

Event Highlights
Illustrators Café
Slovenia Guest of Honour

Why are silent books so loud?

Services Centre
Illustrators Café
Organized by

Slovenia Guest of Honour

Talks & Presentations

"Lettori si diventa": costituzione, legalità e diritti delle donne. I grandi temi dell'educazione civica

Sala Melodia
Services Centre - Wing B
Moderator
Antonio Prudenzano
Organized by

Salani Editore

Event Highlights
PublisHer

Breaking Barriers: Women in Leadership Roles

HALL 29, B44-C41
PublisHer Area

Learn about the experiences of female publishers in leadership positions. Discussing the challenges of breaking into leadership roles, navigating gender biases, and fostering diversity in publishing.

Organized by

PublisHer

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

Call your Agent: how to Become a Successful Literary Agent

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre

Pre-registration required on BBPlus website.

How to participate.

Organized by

BBPlus

Book Lovers' Café

Children’s Laureate: storie di traduzione. Fortuna Nappi in dialogo con Susanna Mattiangeli

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
Book Lovers' Café

Anche l'Italia ha il suo Children's Laureate. Da Alessandro Sanna che ne è stato nominato ambasciatore nel 2020, anno del lockdown, il testimone è passato, nel 2022, a Susanna Mattiangeli, scrittrice e sceneggiatrice. Qui in dialogo, in veste di traduttrice, con la Presidente dell'Associazione ALIR e Valeria Buzi, Direttrice Editoriale della casa editrice Il Barbagianni.

Panel

Fortuna Nappi, Presidente, ALIR - Associazione librerie indipendenti ragazzi; Susanna Mattiangeli, Italian Children’s Laureate; Valeria Buzi, Direttrice Editoriale, Il Barbagianni Editore.

Organized by

ALIR, Accademia Drosselmeier, Bologna Children’s Book Fair

International Bookshop

Book Signing with Lincoln Peirce

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
International Bookshop
Event Highlights
The Illustrators Survival Corner

In Conversation with Artist and Picture Book Maker Oliver Jeffers - Masterclass

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Masterclass Area

Join us for an event with globally-renowned artist and internationally bestselling author, Oliver Jeffers, discussing with Mara Pace the 20th anniversary of Oliver’s debut in his picture book making.

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

Panel

Oliver Jeffers, artist and picture book maker; Mara Pace, journalist, Andersen Magazine.

Organized by

ZOOlibri

In cooperation with

HarperCollins Children's Books Publishers

With the support of

Andersen Magazine

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids

Keynote interview: 35 years of Elmer

HALL 29 MALL 2
Licensing Conference Room

What better place than Bologna to celebrate one of the most enduring IP in the history of children's literature, and one of the most successful in the world of licensing. From fashion to toys, Elmer's colourful world has extended its awareness far beyond the book. Andersen Press tell us about this long and rich journey.

Panel

Paul Black, PR and Brand Director, Andersen Press, UK.

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

In cooperation with

Licensing Magazine

In the framework of

International Kids Licensing Days

Talks & Presentations

Le novità Caissa Italia per il primo semestre 2024

Sala Minuetto
Services Centre - Wing B
Panel

Elena Repetur; Haider Bucar; Lucio Notarnicola; Elena Montemaggi; Tatiana Pepe; Yuri Garrett.

Organized by

Caissa Italia editore

Talks & Presentations

Lo chiamavano Tempesta di Andrea Franzoso

Sala Vivace
Services Centre - Wing D
Moderator
Nicola Galli Laforest
Organized by

De Agostini Libri

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Alejandra Valera (Ediciones Ekaré)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

 Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Elizabeth Dulemba (Hollins University)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

 Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

 

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Marco Ghidelli (RAUM Italic)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

 Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Talks & Presentations

Raccontare l'amore. Sguardi su adolescenza, young adult e romance

Sala Bolero
Services Centre - Wing B
Moderator
Monica Tappa
Panel

Valentina Torchia, autrice; Alberto Rossetti, psicologo e psicoterapeuta; Silvia Martelli, Docente di sec II grado, da anni impegnata in progetti specifici su affettività, relazioni, differenze di genere; Sonia Donelli aka soniarchis, booktoker, blogger (www.esmeraldaviaggielibri.it) e docente di sec I grado.

Organized by

ICWA

Translators Café

Translation workshop: translation is a child’s play (on words).

HALL 30
Translators Café
Panel

Federico Taibi, translator.

Event Highlights
Illustrators Café
Slovenia Guest of Honour

Slovenian illustrators at the Bologna Children's Book Fair exhibitions

Services Centre
Illustrators Café
Organized by

Slovenia Guest of Honour

BolognaBookPlus
Aldus Up

Tales of EUkraine: Intermediate Results

HALL 29 MALL 1
AIE Italian Collective Stand, BBPlus

 Tales of EUkraine (TEUk) is a European project co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union. TEUk is an opportunity for European publishers to support their Ukrainian counterparts and to display their solidarity to the most vulnerable victims of the conflict by doing what they do best: publishing books. TEUk has built a catalogue of Ukrainian children’s books available for publishers to acquire the rights to and publish them in bilingual editions. The project partners will purchase the part of the print run to be distributed to displaced children and organise its distribution to the Ukrainian refugee communities, whilst publishers will be invited to promote the book to their national communities. As the project approaches its halfway point, the consortium will present the results achieved so far – with tens of thousands of bilingual children’s books already published and distributed in several European countries and many more to come.

Panel

Olena Odynoka, Head of the International Cooperation Department, The Ukrainian Book Institute; Enrico Turrin, Deputy Director, Federation of European Publishers.

Organized by

The Ukranian Book Institute

Authors Café

The White Ravens Panel:Black, White, Grey. The Art of Illustrating Books Without Colours

HALL 30
Authors Café

Every year at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, the International Youth Library (IYL) hosts an event about a current topic in international children’s and young adult literature. This time, it is about a fascinating niche in the global picture book production. In books for children, the absence of colour is uncommon today. But they do exist, the colourless picture books. They impressively show how illustrators use the expressive power of lines, shapes, contours, and contrasts to create original, captivating pictures that often have a unique aesthetic and radiate a particular atmosphere. The panel focuses on the rich diversity of black, white, and grey picture books in terms of styles, techniques, and the stories they tell. What makes those books special and attractive? Why do illustrators refrain from using colour?

Panel

Mark Janssen, illustrator, Netherlands; Renáta Fučíková, illustrator and teacher, Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art, University of West Bohemia, Czech Republic; Jochen Weber, Head of Language Sections, International Youth Library, Germany.

Organized by

Internationale Jugendbibliothek - International Youth Library

In cooperation with

Bologna Children’s Book Fair

Talks & Presentations

"Leggere il Mondo": gli strumenti per promuovere in modo innovativo la lettura nelle scuole superiori e il primo numero della guida digitale gratuita del nuovo progetto "Il Libraio Scuola"

Sala Melodia
Services Centre - Wing B
Moderator
Silvia Cannarsa
Organized by

ilLibraio

In cooperation with

Salani

Event Highlights
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Anatomy of the Villain in Children's Books - Masterclass with Benjamin Lacombe and Sébastien Perez

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Masterclass Area

Benjamin Lacombe and Sébastien Perez, authors of L'enfance des méchants, des vilaines & des affreux (L'infanzia dei cattivi. O come divennero così malefici, Ippocampo Edizioni) analyse the characteristics of the villain in children's literature. With Martina Russo (Andersen).

 

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

 

Panel

Benjamin Lacombe, artist; Sébastien Perez, author; Martina Russo, journalist, Andersen Magazine.

Organized by

L'ippocampo Edizioni

International Bookshop

Book Signing with Oliver Jeffers

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
International Bookshop
Event Highlights
Awards & Contests
Book Lovers' Café

The winners of the BolognaRagazzi Awards 2024: Fiction and Non-Fiction categories

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
Book Lovers' Café

Fiction winner: Kintsugi, Libros del Zorro Rojo, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, CD de México, 2023, Text and Illustrations by Issa Watanabe.

Non-Fiction winner: Myko (Myco), Baobab, Czech Republic, 2023, Text by Jiří Dvořák, Illustrations by Daniela Olejníková.

Moderator
Marcella Terrusi, Professor, University of Bologna
Panel

Estrella Borrego, publisher, Libros del Zorro Rojo; Issa Watanabe, author and illustrator Kintsugi; Tereza Horváthová, Co-founder, Editor-in-Chief, writer and translator, Baobab; Jiří Dvořák, author Myko (Myco); Daniela Olejníková, illustrator Myko (Myco).

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

Talks & Presentations

Camelozampa 2024 novelties

Sala Allegretto
Services Centre - Wing C

11:00
READING DIVERSITY

Il progetto Creative Europe alla scoperta della letteratura nordica per ragazzi

"La ferita" di Emma AdBåge, "Il canto dello storno" di Octavie Wolters e "Niente è impossibile per noi" di Eva Lindström sono i primi tre albi del progetto europeo Reading Diversity, per portare in Italia la letteratura europea con particolare attenzione alle lingue meno diffuse, tra cui l'olandese e lo svedese.

Intervengono: Emma AdBåge, autrice e illustratrice, la sua traduttrice Samanta K. Milton Knowles e le editrici Sara Saorin e Francesca Segato, in dialogo con Ilaria Tontardini (Hamelin).

12:00
LA PARABOLA DEL PANIFICIO INDIPENDENTE

Una storia sul lavoro fatto con passione e cura, per chi ogni giorno resiste all'omologazione

"La parabola del panificio indipendente" di Neil Packer inaugura la nuova collana "Le Scintille" di Camelozampa, in cui racconto e illustrazione parlano a un pubblico trasversale.

Intervengono: Neil Packer, autore e illustratore, la traduttrice ed editrice Sara Saorin e l'editrice Francesca Segato.

Moderator
Ilaria Tontardini
Panel

Emma AdBåge; Samanta K. Milton Knowles; Neil Packer; Francesca Segato; Sara Saorin.

Organized by

Camelozampa

In cooperation with

Hamelin

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Licensing Portfolio Review - GAMING: Carlo Esposito (Awakening Games)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Licensing Portfolio Area

 Event upon reservation only

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Martin Salisbury (Cambridge School of Art)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

The Illustrators Survival Corner

The Original Art Exhibition Tour

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - The Original Art Exhibition

Delve into the Original Art Exhibition, gaining exclusive insights into the 2023 medal winners and their acclaimed work.

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids

Navigating the world of kid's licensing: challenges, success stories and cross-media strategies

HALL 29 MALL 2
Licensing Conference Room

The round-table is dedicated to the dynamic landscape of children's licensing: the complexities of brand expansion among successful cross-media companies, and the art of translating IPs into engaging licensing experiences. Experts share how they have tackled current challenges, leveraged brand expansion, and created compelling content for children and families.

Moderator
Neal Hoskins, Publishing Consultant, Poland
Panel

Morghan Fortier, Co-founder and CEO, Skyship Entertainment Company, Canada; Brett Jubinville, Co-founder and COO, Skyship Entertainment Company, Canada; Emmet O'Neill, CEO, StoryToys, Irland.

 

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

In cooperation with

Licensing Magazine

In the framework of

International Kids Licensing Days

The Illustrators Survival Corner

1, 2, 3 ART! Embrace creativity with numbers, shapes and colours - Workshop with Adriano Attus

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Workshop Area

A creative challenge to draw new surprising subjects following the rules of the book-game by Adriano Attus.

 

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

 

Panel

Adriano Attus, artist and Creative Director, Il Sole 24 Ore.

In cooperation with

24 ORE Cultura

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Licensing Portfolio Review - ANIMATION: Viola Vatrini and Fabio Pochet (Movimenti Production)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Licensing Portfolio Area

 Event upon reservation only

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Lorenzo Mattotti

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

The Portoflio Review will be held in Italian and French only

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Event Highlights
Authors Café

Sea of Stories: The Science, History, and Cultural Importance of the Sea in Children’s Literature

HALL 30
Authors Café

Covering almost three quarters of our planet’s surface, the sea is the Earth’s largest ecosystem. Some scientists even call Earth “the Ocean Planet.” And while the planet’s oceans may seem to exist separately, in reality, the oceans are one interconnected body of water. It is this one great sea that makes life possible, and the same sea that each of us around the globe must share and nurture. The sea is not static, empty space: Just as it is constantly reshaped by marine life and geology, it is also transformed through politics and human initiatives. This international round table will explore how children's books today address the momentous presence and multifaceted impact of the sea on human life and society. We will discuss how books can make scientific and ecological investigation of the sea come alive for children; how books can help children explore the role of the sea in socio-political phenomena such as migrations; and how the timeless lore of the sea has shaped storytelling across cultures. Convening a distinguished group of publishers, scientists, authors, and international advocates, this session will highlight the many rigorous, brilliant, and aesthetically elevated children’s books across the globe that reveal the deep interconnectivity between human life, marine life, and the irreplaceable sea. This event is linked to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals Book Club and to the BolognaRagazzi Award 2024 Special Category, dedicated to the best international illustrated books about the Sea.

Moderator
Maria Russo, Editor at Large, Union Square Kids, USA
Panel

Irina Lumelsky, United Nations Publications; Bernardo P. Carvalho, Author, Illustrator and Co-Founder, Planeta Tangerina, Portugal; Janetta Otter-Barry, Publisher, Otter-Barry Books, UK; Gita Wolf, Founder and Publisher, Tara Books, India; Deborah Soria, Bookseller, Ottimomassimo and Project Manager, IBBY "Silent Books - Final Destination Lampedusa", Italy;  Roberto Danovaro, professor of Marine Ecology, Polytechnic University of Marche, Italy.

Organized by

United Nations, Bologna Children's Book Fair

In cooperation with

IPA - International Publishers Association

In the framework of

Sustainable Development Goal Book Club

Event Highlights
Illustrators Café
Slovenia Guest of Honour

Will young Slovenian artists conquer the world?

Services Centre
Illustrators Café
Organized by

Slovenia Guest of Honour

Talks & Presentations

Cinque anni di KIDS. Da Blabey a Okudzava: un punto sul catalogo Caissa Italia e le direzioni per il futuro

Sala Minuetto
Services Centre - Wing B
Moderator
Monica Tappa
Panel

Yuri Garrett; Elena Montemaggi; Tatiana Pepe.

Organized by

Caissa Italia editore

International Bookshop

Book Signing with Benjamin Lacombe

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
International Bookshop
International Bookshop

Book Signing with Sualzo

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
International Bookshop
Event Highlights
Slovenia Guest of Honour

Guided Tour of "And then what happens?" - GoH Illustrator's Exhibition

-
Services Center
Organized by

Slovenia Guest of Honour

Translators Café
Awards & Contests

Premio Strega Ragazze e Ragazzi 2023: Meet the Translators

HALL 30
Translators Café
Panel

Francesco Ferrucci, translator; Aurelia Martelli, translator; Sara Ragusa, translator.

Artificial Intelligence
Book Lovers' Café

Intelligenza Artificiale nella letteratura per ragazzi: mettiamola alla prova

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
Book Lovers' Café

Due libri diversi hanno la stessa protagonista narrativa: l'Intelligenza Artificiale: IA, volume tradotto dal Canada, è il primo albo illustrato per bambini che racconta la storia dell'Intelligenza Artificiale; Viaggio oltre l'ignoto è un progetto editoriale sperimentale nato dalla curiosità di capire le potenzialità e i limiti dell'Intelligenza Artificiale nella stesura di un racconto. Per la prima volta il talento umano sfida una macchina "in punta di penna": nello specifico, un'autrice esordiente e l'AI si confrontano in una gara pratica di scrittura, dovendo adottare le stesse regole.

Moderator
Cosimo Di Bari, Ricercatore di Pedagogia generale e sociale, Università di Firenze
Panel

Valentina Federici, autrice; Davide Morosinotto, autore; Luca Misso, Amministratore, Il Gatto Verde. 

Organized by

Il Castoro, Il Gatto Verde

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Notte di Fiaba Illustration Contest 2024: And the winners are...

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Masterclass Area

Don't miss the opportunity to preview the NDF Illustration Contest 10th edition results! Come meet the Jury, Giunti's Editorial Director, and the winners of the past editions.

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

Panel

Chiara Tomasi, Art Director, NDF Illustration Contest; Barbara Angelini, President, Associazione Manifestazioni Rivane; Francesca Tancini, Jury's President, NDF Illustration Contest; Eleonora Cumer, Jury, NDF Illustration Contest; Beatrice Fini, Editorial Director, Giunti Editore.

Organized by

Notte di Fiaba (Associazione Manifestazioni Rivane)

In cooperation with

Giunti Editore, Fedrigoni Paper

With the support of

MAG-Museo Alto Garda, Provincia Autonoma di Trento - Dipartimento Cultura, Comune di Riva del Garda - Assessorato alla Cultura, B.I.M. del Sarca

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Ella Beech

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Leonard Marcus

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids

Utilizing storytelling in product, media, publishing and content to catalyse social and environmental change

HALL 29 MALL 2
Licensing Conference Room

Utilizing storytelling in product development, media, and publishing to catalyse social and environmental change is a powerful strategy. By weaving narratives that highlight sustainability and social responsibility into our products, media content, and published works, we have the opportunity to inspire action and foster a collective commitment to positive change. The meeting is dedicated to exploring the development of storytelling across various platforms to promote significant impact on both social and environmental fronts.

Moderator
Helena Mansell-Stopher, CEO, Products of Change, UK
Panel

Marianne James, Vice President, EMEA & Asia Licensed Consumer Products, Hasbro, UK; Alan Vele, CEO and Producer AL-ONE, Italy; Daniele Tombini, Vice President Business Development Southern Europe, Smiley World Ltd., UK. 

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

In cooperation with

Licensing Magazine, Products of Change

In the framework of

International Kids Licensing Days

Talks & Presentations

Ho camminato tanto, ho camminato. Storie migranti nei libri per ragazzi

Sala Bolero
Services Centre - Wing B
Moderator
Marta Marchi
Panel

Annalisa Camilli; Carlo Marconi; Armando Spataro.

Organized by

IBBY Italia - Progetto BILL

In cooperation with

Bologna Children's Book Fair

Event Highlights
Authors Café
Comics

Jérémie Moreau: drawing the future with comics

HALL 30
Authors Café

In the increasingly vibrant landscape of young adult comics, Jérémie Moreau is single handedly creating a new paradigm. Striking a meticulous balance between fantasy and realism, tradition and experimentation, his comic books manage to talk to young readers about the uncertainty of a world marked by planetary emergencies, and to imagine the future that awaits us.

Panel

Jérémie Moreau, comics artist and illustrator, France; Massimiliano Clemente, Editorial Director, Tunué, Italy; Emilio Varrà, Hamelin, Italy.

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In cooperation with

Hamelin, Tunué

In the framework of

Comics Corner

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Cathy Olmedillas (Studio Anorak)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Martina Recchiuti (Internazionale Kids)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Event Highlights
Illustrators Café

Announcement of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2024

Services Centre
Illustrators Café

Announcement of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2024, broadcast live from Stockholm.

Panel

Åsa Bergman, Head of Office, ALMA; Kajsa Ravin, Director General, Swedish Arts Council; Samuel Sandberg Bremell, consultant, Embassy of Sweden to Italy; Boel Westin, Chairman of the ALMA Jury; Balsam Karam, Jury member, ALMA; Mårten Sandén, Jury member, ALMA; Bjorn Sundmark, Jury member, ALMA.

Organized by

Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award

Talks & Presentations

NO BORDER BOOKS

Sala Ronda
Services Centre - Wing C
Moderator
Alberto Emiletti
Panel

Silvia Vecchini, autrice; Felicita Sala, illustratrice; Deborah Soria, referente Biblioteca Lampedusa, IBBY Italia; Giovanni D'Ambrosio, Mediterranean Hope.

Organized by

IBBY Italia - Biblioteca di Lampedusa

In cooperation with

Mediterranean Hope

Translators Café

Announcement of the forthcoming European Conference on literary translation in Strasbourg

HALL 30
Translators Café
Panel

Elena Pasoli, Director, Bologna Children's Book Fair; Francesca Novajra, President, CEATL; Simona Mambrini, Bologna Children's Book Fair collaborator.

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In cooperation with

CEATL - European Council of Associations of Literary Translators

Book Lovers' Café

Arte in pagina: segni, forme, storie

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
Book Lovers' Café
Moderator
Silvana Sola Docente, ISIA Urbino
Panel

Adriano Attus, giornalista e artista; Fausto Gilberti, artista.

 

Organized by

24 ORE Cultura, Corraini

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Disegnare la città - Masterclass con Joëlle Jolivet e Massimiliano Tappari

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Masterclass Area

Come si può disegnare una città? Quali sono le difficoltà e le sfide nel raccontare ai bambini gli spazi urbani? Una conversazione tra due artisti che hanno realizzato diversi progetti sulle città: Joëlle Jolivet, il cui ultimo libro pubblicato in Francia da Les Grandes Personnes è un'interpretazione di Parigi che i bambini possono colorare, e Massimiliano Tappari usa la fotografia per rivelare i dettagli più poetici e originali dei paesaggi urbani.

 

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

 

Panel

Joëlle Jolivet, illustratrice; Massimiliano Tappari, fotografo; Ilaria Tontardini, Hamelin.

Organized by

Hamelin

International Bookshop

Book Signing with BeneDì (Benedetta D'Incau)

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
International Bookshop
International Bookshop

Book Signing with Issa Watanabe

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
International Bookshop
BolognaBookPlus
Aldus Up
Artificial Intelligence

In the AI of the Beholder: how to see the Human Reading Behind the AI

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre

The possibilities and perils of Generative AI have dramatically shaken every industry this year including the publishing world. We need to bring a human centred approach to design the use of technology ethically and responsibly for our readers. From AI, AR/VR, AirPods and Amazon Kindle to Nintendo Wii, Whatsapp, Microsoft Zoom all A to Z technologies are rapidly changing the way readers create, curate, share and read. These new technologies have both enhancing and damaging influences on readers. Based on disciplines such as human centred design and behaviour economics, we can design AI technology that can make reading useful, usable, beautiful, joyful, sustainable and responsible for every single reader around the world. This session draws attention to the human holding the AI, not just AI itself, opening up new opportunities for the publishing world to help change the world for the better

Panel

Priya Sathiyam, Design Director, Fractal.

Organized by

BBPlus

In the framework of

Aldus Up

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Licensing Porfolio Review - STATIONERY: Davide Gastaldi (Franco Cosimo Panini Editore)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Licensing Portfolio Area

 Event upon reservation only

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Madalena Matoso & Yara Kono (Planeta Tangerina)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

 Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Event Highlights
Authors Café
Slovenia Guest of Honour
Comics

Great stories from a small country: slovenian comics today

HALL 30
Authors Café

When we talk about comics we automatically think of France, Belgium, the United States, Japan... But Slovenia, guest country of Bologna Children's Book Fair 2024, is one of the most original and surprising hubs for European independent comics. This panel is both a conversation between Stripburger, whose magazine has been bringing the best of Slovenian comics to Europe and vice versa for more than 30 years, and comic artist Izar Lunacek, among the organizers of Tinta Comics Fest.

Moderator
Alessio Trabacchini, Co-Artistic Director, Baba Jaga Fest, Italy
Panel

David Krančan, comics artist and editor, Stripburger, Slovenia; Tanja Skale, editor, Stripburger, Slovenia; Izar Lunacek, comics artist, Slovenia.

Organized by

Bologna Children’s Book Fair, JAK - Slovenian Book Agency

In cooperation with

Hamelin

In the framework of

Slovenia Guest of Honour, Comics Corner

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Licensing Portfolio Review - FASHION: Cinzia Grassi (Illustrabimbi)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Licensing Portfolio Area

 Event upon reservation only

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Licensing Portfolio Review - STATIONERY: Angela Di Stasio (Seven SpA)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Licensing Portfolio Area

 Event upon reservation only

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Giovanni Scarduelli

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

 

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Presentazione Premio di Illustrazione Editoriale Livio Sossi: un'opportunità per pubblicare

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Workshop Area

Incontro con la Giuria 2024 e presentazione del concorso finalizzato alla realizzazione di albi illustrati a partire da testi inediti. Un'opportunità concreta per pubblicare il primo libro o consolidare la propria carriera editoriale.

 

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

 

Panel

Sarah Genovese, curatrice del concorso, Lucca Comics & Games; Paolo D'Altan, Presidente di Giuria; Loredana Baldinucci, editor, Editrice Il Castoro; Daniele Bonomo, in arte Gud, Art Director, Book on a Tree; Francesco Morgando, autore del testo 2024; Flavio Rosati, Presidente Associazione Autori di Immagini (AI).

Organized by

Lucca Comics & Games

In cooperation with

Book on a Tree, Editrice Il Castoro

Talks & Presentations

"Lettori si diventa": il mondo della preadolescenza con Alberto Pellai e Barbara Tamborini. Come parlare ai giovani di autostima, diversità e bullismo

Sala Melodia
Services Centre - Wing B
Moderator
Sarah Pozzoli.
Organized by

Salani Editore

Talks & Presentations

"Terremoti", la nuova collana di orecchio acerbo

Sala Allegretto
Services Centre - Wing C

Sudden accelerations, sudden changes in gaze, discoveries, transformations. In other words, the seismic continent of childhood.

 

Moderator
Fausta Orecchio
Panel

Nadia Terranova; Mara Cerri; Fausta Orecchio.

Organized by

orecchio acerbo

Talks & Presentations

1, 2, 3, primi passi tra libri e numeri alla conquista del mondo

Sala Notturno
Services Centre - Wing D
Moderator
Silvia Cuppini, Referente AIB NpL Emilia Romagna e Nicoletta Bacco, Osservatorio editoriale NpL
Panel

Angela Dal Gobbo, Infanzia che conta; Antonella Brunelli; Carlo Tomasetto; Paolo Zanfini; Katia Rossi.

Organized by

Nati per Leggere Emilia-Romagna e Osservatorio editoriale Nati per Leggere

In cooperation with

AIB - Associazione Italiana Biblioteche

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

Author Ambassador Neil Packer In Conversation with Ed Nawotka

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre

2024 BolognaBookPlus Author Ambassador, Neil Packer in Conversation with Ed Nawotka, Publishers Weekly.

Panel

Neil Packer, author; Ed Nawotka, Publishers Weekly.

Organized by

BBPlus

Talks & Presentations

Babalibri in Musica

Sala Vivace
Services Centre - Wing D
Panel

Francesca Archinto, Maria Cannata, Emile Jadoul, Catherine Pineur.

Organized by

Babalibri

Event Highlights
Book Lovers' Café

Beatrice Alemagna, the Grande Ourse 2023: a moving and troubled look at childhood

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
Book Lovers' Café
Panel

 Beatrice Alemagna, artist; Emilio Varrà, Hamelin.

Organized by

Salon du Livre et de la Presse Jeunesse de Montreuil

In cooperation with

Istituto Francese, Hamelin

PublisHer

Coffee & Networking

HALL 29, B44-C41
PublisHer Area
Organized by

PublisHer

In cooperation with

Bologna Children's Book Fair

International Bookshop

Book Signing with Franco Matticchio

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
International Bookshop
Event Highlights
Illustrators Café
Awards & Contests

Meeting with Andrea Antinori, winner of the 2023 International Award of Illustration BCBF - Fundación SM

Services Centre
Illustrators Café
Panel

Andrea Antinori, illustrator; Pablo Núñez, Sara Rioja, Teresa Tellechea, Fundación SM.

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In cooperation with

Fundación SM

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids

Milano Cortina 2026: the Italian spirit of the games in licensing

HALL 29 MALL 2
Licensing Conference Room

The Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games Milano Cortina 2026 will give voice to the excellence of the territory that will know how to embrace and support, through the creation of licensed products, the profound values of sports. The meeting offers a unique opportunity to become protagonists on the world stage.

Panel

Moris Calasso, Head of Licensing, Olympic Winter Games, Milano Cortina 2026, Italy; Stefano Gili, Head of Retail & E-Commerce, Milano Cortina 2026, Italia.

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

In cooperation with

Licesing Magazine

In the framework of

International Kids Licensing Days

Event Highlights
Translators Café
Slovenia Guest of Honour

No language left behind, no book left behind. For a biodiversity in children's literature

HALL 30
Translators Café
Moderator
Francesca Novajra, children's literary translator, AITI, President, CEATL
Panel

Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp, children's literary translator, literary agent and Project Manager, World Kid Lit; Karolina Jaszecka, children's literary agent, scout and translator; Elisabetta Lippolis, Vice President, IBBY Italy; Julija Potrč Šavli, children literary translator, DSKP, IBBY Slovenia; Eva Valvo, children literary translator, Strade, CEATL.

 

Organized by

CEATL - European Council of Associations of Literary Translators

In cooperation with

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In the framework of

Slovenia Guest of Honour

Talks & Presentations

Novità in catalogo: creature fantastiche lombarde e omaggio a Calvino

Sala Ronda
Services Centre - Wing C
Moderator
Francesca Mignemi
Panel

Giulia Orecchia, Teresa Porcella, Andrea Calisi, accompagnamento musicale di Emanuele Ortu

Organized by

Telos edizioni

The Illustrators Survival Corner
Artificial Intelligence

Perception and Judgement. Facing the Coming of the Era of Artificial Intelligence Illustrations - Masterclass with Luo Ling

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Masterclass Area

At the forefront of the AI era, the speaker is discussing how AI works by examining the internal processes involved in creating both human intelligence and artificial intelligence. Event in Chinese with English translation 

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

Panel

Luo Ling, picturebook painter, Teacher of Jingdezhen, Ceramic University.

In cooperation with

China Shanghai International Children's Book Fair, Golden Pinwheel Young Illustrators Competition

In the framework of

Aldus Up

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Eliza Kinkz

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

 

Event Highlights
Authors Café

Transatlantic connections: literature, childhood and diversity

HALL 30
Authors Café

The panel discussion continues the debate initiated by Bologna Children's Book Fair in 2023 on the interactions between African production and that of Latin and North America. Recognising a black literature today, aimed at an Afro-descendant community, and identifying a place for it in the market and a wider readership is at the top of the agenda. The visibility of many authors in Latin and North America, especially those of African descent and native peoples who until recently were considered outside the canon, is reshaping many markets. How should publishers work to include themes of African, African American and Afro-Latin American origin in their catalogues? How to deal with the subject of racism in books for children and young people? How to respect Africanness and move beyond stereotypes and prejudices?.

Moderator
Dolores Prades, Founder, Director and editor, Instituto Emília, Brazil
Panel

Dipacho, picture books author and illustrator, Colombia; Wade and Cheryl Hudson, Founders and publishers, Just US Books, USA; Bel Santos Mayer, project coordinator Queiroz Filho Brazilian Institute of Studies and Community Support - IBEAC, Brazil; Kayode R. Onimole, illustrator, Nigeria; Lola Shoneyin, author and publisher, Ouida Books, Nigeria.

 

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair, Instituto Emília

With the support of

ITA-Italian Trade Agency and MAECI-Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Play! How to create an effective portfolio - Workshop

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Workshop Area

A practical look at portfolio structure: how to choose images, organize them, give rhythm to the presentation, and submit the portfolio to a publishing house.

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

 

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Mariana Warth (Pallas editora)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

 

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Renee (Xiaoyan) Huang (Everafter Books/TB Publishing Limited)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

 

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids

A preview of Moomin's 80th anniversary

HALL 29 MALL 2
Licensing Conference Room

The Moomins, the most beloved family of characters in children's literature and the licensing world, return to Bologna to reveal in absolute preview the development and promotion plans for their upcoming extraordinary milestone: the 80th anniversary, to be celebrated in 2025.

Panel

Roleff Kråkström, CEO, Moomin Characters, Finland.

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

In cooperation with

Licesing Magazine

In the framework of

International Kids Licensing Days

Talks & Presentations

"Lettori si diventa": Giovanni Nucci e Mattia Corrente rileggono la mitologia con gli occhi dei ragazzi di oggi

Sala Melodia
Services Centre - Wing B
Moderator
Alice Bigli
Organized by

Salani Editore

Event Highlights
Illustrators Café

"Mac Barnett, are you ever going to write a real book?". Why children’s books are a very serious thing

Services Centre
Illustrators Café

After twenty years and more than fifty books published, in his first book for "grown-ups", The Secret Door (Terre di Mezzo Editore) Mac Barnett tells why children's literature is literature in its own right and why children are the ideal readers. «The best children’s literature is as good as the best literature humans have produced».

Panel

Mac Barnett, author; Maria Russo, Editor at Large, Union Square Kids, USA; Giulia Rizzo, Editorial Vice Director, Terre di Mezzo Editore.

Organized by

Terre di Mezzo Editore

In cooperation with

Bologna Children's Book Fair

Talks & Presentations

"MuMu. Multimedia multilingue". Presentazione nuova collana editoriale e approfondimenti

Sala Ronda
Services Centre - Wing C
Moderator
Barbara Schiaffino
Panel

Milena Tancredi; Luana Astore; Teresa Porcella; Noemi Mercade; Giacomo Guccinelli.

Organized by

Telos edizioni

BolognaBookPlus

Colori e Parole

HALL 29 MALL 1
AIE Italian Collective Stand, BBPlus

Quando il testo e le immagini si fondono in una storia: le difficoltà e le gioie dietro al processo creativo.

Panel

Viviana Sgorbini, editrice, Tomolo EdiGiò; Stefania Gualerzi, illustratrice.

Organized by

Tomolo EdiGiò

International Bookshop

Book Signing with Beatrice Alemagna

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
International Bookshop
Event Highlights
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Illustrate Poetry. Experience Based on the "Book of Questions" by Pablo Neruda - Masterclass with Paloma Valdivia

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Masterclass Area

Six years of study, trial and error to understand how to illustrate the poem, a poetic but unanswered question. To achieve this, the illustrator Paloma Valdivia had to read the poet's entire oeuvre, visit the places where he lived, watch documentaries and somehow get inside his head. In this masterclass, Paloma Valdivia talks about her creative process behind "The Book of Questions" (Enchanted Lion Books, USA 2022). Event in Spanish with English translation.

 

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

 

Panel

Paloma Valdivia, illustrator.

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Peggy Espinosa (Petra Ediciones)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Book Lovers' Café

Ricordando Giacomo Matteotti: un Centenario, due romanzi

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
Book Lovers' Café

Lo chiamavano Tempesta e Tempesta Matteotti, due libri per raccontare una storia di ideali e di difesa della libertà. Due romanzi che si rivolgono alle nuove generazioni portandole tra le pagine della Storia.

Moderator
Federica Iacobelli, scrittrice e sceneggiatrice
Panel

Andrea Franzoso, autore; Luisa Mattia, autrice.

 

Organized by

De Agostini, Edizioni Lapis

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus
Awards & Contests

Talking Pictures. The New Award for Ukranian Book Design: the Winner and Special Mentions

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre
Organized by

BBPlus

In cooperation with

Hamelin, Steven Guarnaccia, International Book Arsenal Festival Kyiv

The Illustrators Survival Corner

The Original Art Exhibition Tour

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - The Original Art Exhibition

Delve into the Original Art Exhibition, gaining exclusive insights into the 2023 medal winners and their acclaimed work.

 

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

 

 

Organized by

Society of Illustrators

In cooperation with

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In the framework of

The Original Art Exhibition

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids

From Smiley to mini Smiley. Kids' brand evolution

HALL 29 MALL 2
Licensing Conference Room

How can a lifestyle brand evolve in a character property with the development of an animated series and a brand-new licensing programme focused on kids? A quality production by PGS Entertainment, a new 3D animated series and a new adventure for Smiley, will be told for the first time in Bologna. It’s time to discover all the details of this new Smiley franchise.

Panel

Daniele Tombini, Vice President Business Development Southern Europe, Smiley World Ltd., UK.

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

In cooperation with

Licesing Magazine

In the framework of

International Kids Licensing Days

Authors Café

BCBF/São Paulo connection. Government’s activities and publishing market

HALL 30
Authors Café

Presentation of the book purchasing and distribution policy by the Education Department of the city of São Paulo.

Panel

Karla de Oliveira Queiroz, Head of the Center of Reading and Literature SME-SP; Jessika de Oliveira Queiroz, Early Childhood Education Teacher, EMEI; Ana Barbara dos Santos, Trainer in the Early Childhood Education Division SME-SP.

Organized by

Secretary of Education of the City of São Paulo

In cooperation with

Bologna Children's Book Fair

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Licensing Portfolio Review - TOY: Ferdinando Batistini (Red Glove)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Licensing Portfolio Area

 Event upon reservation only

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

Translators Café

Inspiring the love for Greek and Latin classics in young readers

HALL 30
Translators Café
Panel

Federico Condello, University of Bologna; Lucia Floridi, University of Bologna.

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Art for Peace: illustration exhibition "Peace Should be Learned in Childhood" presentation

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Workshop Area

The Iranian Illustrator’s Society and the Children's Book Council of Iran (IBBY-Iran) organize the illustration exhibition "Peace Should be learned in Childhood". This exhibition is being held annually in Tehran on September 21, International Day of Peace. The panelists will introduce the exhibition and share their experiences. 

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

 

Panel

Ali Boozar; Viive Noor, illustrator and curator; Luisa Rivera, illustrator and artist; Nadia Romero Marchesini, illustrator; Sanna Pelliccioni, illustrator, author and graphic designer; Justyna Stefańczyk, designer; Kertu Sillaste, texile artist, illustrator and children's author.

Organized by

The Iranian Illustrators Society

In cooperation with

Children's book Council of Iran

Talks & Presentations

Fidati di noi! Adolescenti, lettura e biblioteche

Sala Bolero
Services Centre - Wing B
Moderator
Giuseppe Bartorilla
Panel

Introduce Elisa Callegari; "Gli adolescenti, questi sconosciuti" in dialogo con Alberto Rossetti, psicoterapeuta e scrittore; "Narrare per i ragazzi: tra poesia romanzo e Graphic Novel" in dialogo con Silvia Vecchini, scrittrice e poetessa e Sualzo, autore e illustratore;  "Pubblicare per i ragazzi: tra collane e generi" in dialodo con Matteo Gaspari, ADD Editore e Francesca Di Martino, Edizioni Piuma; "Biblioteche per i ragazzi: tra spazi e lettura" in dialogo con Valentina Busso, Biblioteca Archimede, Paolo Zanfini, Biblioteca Malatestiana e Luca Mandorlini, Biblioteca Holden.

Organized by

Associazione Italiana Biblioteche - Commissione ?Nazionale Biblioteche? e servizi per ragazze e ragazzi

BolognaBookPlus

Are you ready for the European Accessibility Act?

HALL 29 MALL 1
AIE Italian Collective Stand, BBPlus

Starting from June 2025, the European Accessibility Act will require all products and services on the European market to meet accessibility requirements. In this presentation, Fondazione LIA will showcase its services to support your company in its journey to comply with the accessibility standards.

Organized by

Fondazione LIA

International Bookshop

Book Signing Ester Armanino

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
International Bookshop
International Bookshop

Book Signing with Guido Scarabottolo

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
International Bookshop
Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids

Hello Kitty: 50 Years of an Icon

HALL 29 MALL 2
Licensing Conference Room

This interview celebrates the 50th anniversary of Hello Kitty, an icon of licensing, going back over her international milestones and future challenges, from lifestyle to a successful, animated TV series.

Panel

Silvia Figini, COO, EMEA, India and Oceania, and Mr Men Worldwide, Sanrio GmbH, Italy.

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

In cooperation with

Licesing Magazine

In the framework of

International Kids Licensing Days

Event Highlights
Awards & Contests
Comics
Book Lovers' Café

The winners of the BolognaRagazzi Awards 2024: Comics category

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
Book Lovers' Café

Comics Young Adult winner: Il racconto della roccia (The Tale Of The Stone), Coconino Press, Italy, 2023, Text and Illustrations by BeneDì (Benedetta D'Incau).

Comics Early Reader winner: Comment naissent les arbres (How Trees Are Born), La Martinière Jeunesse, France, 2023, Text and Illustrations by Charles Berbérian.

Comics Middle Grade winner: Les Pissenlits (Dandelions), Éditions Sarbacane, France, 2022, Text and Illustrations by Nina Six.

Panel

Giovanni Ferrara, Editorial Director, Coconino Press; BeneDì (Benedetta D'Incau), author and illustrator Il racconto della roccia (The Tale Of The Stone); Marie Bluteau, Publisher, La Martinière Jeunesse; Charles Berbérian, author and illustrator Comment naissent les arbres (How Trees Are Born); Frédéric Lavabre, Director, Sarbacane.

Opening remarks:
Emilio Varrà, Hamelin

 

Moderators:

Mohammad Yousuf Alshaibani, 2024 BRAW Comics Juror

Joonas Sildre, 2024 BRAW Comics Juror
Enrico Fornaroli, Professor, Academy of Fine Arts of Bologna

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In the framework of

Comics Corner

Event Highlights
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Le corse, i cavalieri, le fiere, gli amori, io canto - Masterclass with Lorenzo Mattotti

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Masterclass Area

Ivan Canu converses with Lorenzo Mattotti on the themes of the Italian artist's most recent work.

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

 

 

 

Panel

Lorenzo Mattotti, artist; Ivan Canu, Director, Mimaster Illustrazione.

Event Highlights
Illustrators Café

Reading of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Services Centre
Illustrators Café

The United Nations recently celebrated 75 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the key document outlining the rights and freedoms of every human being. Children’s book authors, illustrators and publishers from around the world gathered at BCBF will read the thirty articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in their native language. This multilingual reading will inspire readers and listeners alike to think about how human rights, particularly those of young citizens, continue to be a central theme in 2024, and why we need to keep fighting to make them a reality for everyone, everywhere.

Organized by

United Nations, Bologna Children's Book Fair

In cooperation with

30 friends of the international children's book community

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Licensing Portfolio Review - ANIMATION: Viola Vatrini & Fabio Pochet (Movimenti Production)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Licensing Portfolio Area

 Event upon reservation only

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Ekaterina Kashirskaya (A Walk Through History)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Talks & Presentations

Stardust by Hannah Arnesen, orecchio acerbo

Sala Allegretto
Services Centre - Wing C

An ecological and revolutionary book that unfolds through many genres and languages: art, poetry, science, philosophy. A book for the Earth and for us. And for those who come after us.

Moderator
Felice Cimatti
Panel

Hannah Arnesen; Thierry Magnier; Jose Diaz; Fausta Orecchio; Laura Cangemi. In dialogo con l'autrice, Felice Cimatti.

Organized by

orecchio acerbo

Talks & Presentations

Tutti i colori di Iela Mari

Sala Vivace
Services Centre - Wing D
Panel

Francesca Archinto; Martino Negri; Francesco Cappa; Ilaria Tontardini; Giulia Mirandola; Fabian Negrin.

Organized by

Babalibri

In cooperation with

Hamelin

BolognaBookPlus
Aldus Up
Artificial Intelligence

Unlocking AI, VR, AR in Publishing: tools for Authoring and Digital Content

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre

The dynamic intersection of AI, VR, and AR in publishing is a fact. Innovative authoring tools and cutting-edge solutions are changing the digital content creation and distribution. How can these technologies and tools really empower authors in crafting immersive experience able to engage audiences like never before? How can the publisher unlock the potential of AI-driven creativity and redefine the future of publishing and storytelling? Enjoy our presentation to talk about this incoming publishing revolution.

Panel

Sam Habibi Minelli, GruppoMeta; Giorgio Genta, Vice President, ETT Group. 

Organized by

BBPlus

In the framework of

Aldus Up

Talks & Presentations

Essere in/segnati dalla poesia

Sala Ronda
Services Centre - Wing C
Moderator
Raffaella Polverini
Panel

Anna Maria Farabbi Milena Nicolini

Organized by

Kaba edizioni - Al3vie

Talks & Presentations

La promozione del libro per bambini e ragazzi in Europa

Sala Notturno
Services Centre - Wing D
Moderator
-
Panel

Maurizio Caminito, Forum del libro; Franco Fornaroli, IBBY Italia; Bruno Giancarli, AIE.

Organized by

Forum del libro - ETS

In cooperation with

IBBY Italia, A.I.E.

Under the auspices of

-

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Around the world - Workshop with Inga Dagilė

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Workshop Area

From paper rubbish to illustration, this creative workshop serves as a meeting point between man and the city, with rubbish serving as a trace of their relationship. Through creativity, problems can be addressed, and the rubbish can be repurposed as materials to narrate the city's story. Join the illustrator on a journey through a city you have probably never seen before.

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Panel

Inga Dagilė, illustrator and graphic designer.

With the support of

Lithuanian Culture Institute

Under the auspices of

Lithuanian Culture Institute

Book Lovers' Café

Children's Laureate. Literature without borders

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
Book Lovers' Café

An encounter between two Children's Laureate ambassadors of stories and figures, of good books, within and beyond their national boundaries, from Italy and Great Britain.

The event will be held at the Bookseller Lounge. 

Panel

Fortuna Nappi, Presidente, ALIR-Associazione Librerie Indipendenti; Joseph Coelho, Children's Laureate; Susanna Mattiangeli, Children's Laureate

Event Highlights
Authors Café

Dead Bunnies and Naked Bottoms. Meeting the Challenges of Children's Publishing Across Cultures

HALL 30
Authors Café

The love we feel for our children is universal. But the ways we raise our beloved children are specific to the cultures we live in. How we swaddle a newborn, how and what we feed a baby, where that baby sleeps, how we teach the child to use the potty, how we speak to that child as he or she grows, how we educate the child and introduce difficult subjects like death or divorce to them, all of our childrearing practices are embedded in cultural traditions that can feel non negotiable, even eternal. Even our most closely held beliefs about the nature of childhood can start to destabilize when we view them through the lens of a different culture. For children's publishers working across international markets, this raises unique challenges as we acquire books that originate in disparate cultural practices and mindsets. How do we choose which books can travel across borders? How do we work with editors, artists, and writers to create respectful foreign editions that are true to the essence of the original, but work within our markets? What are the limits of cross-cultural adaptation? Join a distinguished panel of publishers, illustrators, and foreign rights professionals for a lively discussion of cross-cultural successes and failures, taboos and proscriptions, and the ongoing search for best practices as we navigate the international children's books market.

Moderator
Maria Russo, Editor at Large, Union Square Kids, USA
Panel

Neal Porter, Vice President and publisher, Neal Porter Books/Holiday House, USA; Dolores Prades, Scholar, Founder, Instituto and Revista Emília, Brazil; Beatrice Alemagna, author and illustrator, Italy; Erik Titusson, Founder, Lilla Piratförlaget, Sweden.

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids

Hello Kitty's Cake Party

HALL 29 MALL 2
Licensing Conference Room
Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

In cooperation with

Licensing Magazine, Sanrio

In the framework of

International Kids Licensing Days

Talks & Presentations

Meet the best selling author Rocio Bonilla!

Sala Melodia
Services Centre - Wing B

Immerse yourself in the captivating world of Rocio Bonilla. With her unique ability to connect with the world of children, she enchants young readers and families alike through fascinating stories and unforgettable characters, transcending borders and cultures.

Join us in a delightful conversation between author and editor, as we uncover the charm of her literary creations and the global success they have achieved. Don't miss out on the phenomenon "Rocio Bonilla."

Are you ready to be captivated too?.

Moderator
Jordi Martin, publisher Bromera/Animallibres
Organized by

Edicions Bromera

Under the auspices of

Institut Ramon Llull

Translators Café

She, he, they/them? Translating for children in a more inclusive way (also) beyond gender binarism

HALL 30
Translators Café
Panel

Roberta Pederzoli, University of Bologna.

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Alice Nussbaum (Grasset-Jeunesse)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

Storytelling, characters and illustrations: Italian children's publishing abroad. Destination Frankfurt

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre
Panel

Katharina Ebinger, Thienemann-Esslinger Verlag GmbH; Rex How, Founder and President, Locus Publishing; Carlo Gallucci, Founder, Gallucci Editore and coordinator of AIE - Commissione Ragazzi; Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief,  Publishing Perspectives.

Organized by

Italy Guest of Honour Frankfurter Buchmesse 2024, AIE - Italian Publishers Association, Bologna Children’s Book Fair

Event Highlights
Illustrators Café

Pictured Worlds: The Illustrated Children's Book Past, Present, and Future with Leonard S. Marcus

Services Centre
Illustrators Café

In this wide-ranging conversation, noted historian and critic Leonard Marcus talks with Marcella Terrusi about his path-finding, decades-long research into the history of children's books and their illustration, and shares some of his favourite discoveries about the origins, development and increasingly global reach of an art form that is only now beginning to enjoy the cultural standing it has long deserved.

Panel

Leonard S. Marcus, children's book historian and critic; Marcella Terrusi, Professor, University of Bologna.

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

Book Lovers' Café

Kind and polite. Stories of gentle words

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
Book Lovers' Café

Due libri che sottolineano in modo diverso l'importanza dell'aggettivo "gentile". Un racconto, Via della gentilezza di Marta Bartolj, affida alle sole immagini il compito di evidenziare semplici azioni del quotidiano. Una storia, La mosca gentile di Lorenza Gentile, mette in pagina parole e figure che ricordano che sono i piccoli gesti a fare la differenza.

Moderator
Federica Iacobelli, scrittrice e sceneggiatrice
Panel

Marta Bartolj, autrice; Lorenza Gentile, autrice; Giulia Orecchia, illustratrice.

 

Organized by

Mondadori, Terre di Mezzo Editore

International Bookshop

Book Signing with Fausto Gilberti

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
International Bookshop
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Lee Ho Baek

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Tomi Ungerer’s Flix: The Journey From Book to Screen - Masterclass

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Masterclass Area

How do you turn a beloved children’s book into an animated series? Join us as we explore the creative process behind adapting Flix and other book titles for the screen. We will consider how some elements that work visually on the page may not translate well onto the screen, and how storytelling in 36 pages compares with storytelling for the screen. From the perspectives of the Artist, Producer and Art Director, we'll delve into the many adventures and dilemmas encountered along the road from Development to final Production. Flix is a 13 episode fish-out-of-water Adventure Comedy based on Tomi Ungerer’s award-winning book of the same name. Learn how the Flix team reimagined the original story of the only dog growing up in Cat Town, and brought his quirky world to life on screen.

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

Panel

Antonio Terlizzi, Art Director, Tomi Ungerer's Flix series; Jennie Stacey, Vice President of Development & Production, 9 Story Media Group; Axel Scheffler, illustrator; Aria Ungerer, Creative Lead, curator and project co-ordinator, The Tomi Ungerer Estate, Founder, Pictor Productions, Creative Producer, Flix series.

Organized by

The Tomi Ungerer Estate Ltd

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids

Adapting tales to tech: charting the impact of consumer trends on children and family reading experiences

HALL 29 MALL 2
Licensing Conference Room

The panel explores the transformative landscape of Children's Publishing, where consumer evolution reshapes the storytelling experience for children and families. This speech discloses the intricate threads of how emerging consumer trends, fuelled by technology and changing family dynamics, impact the world of children's literature. Gain insights into adapting narratives, embracing digital platforms, and creating immersive reading experiences that resonate with the evolving expectations of modern families.

Panel

Philippe Guinaudeau, CEO, The BrandTrends Group, France.

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

In cooperation with

Licensing Magazine

In the framework of

International Kids Licensing Days

Authors Café

Fondi storici e collezioni di libri illustrati: le figure tra passato e futuro

HALL 30
Authors Café
Moderator
Marina Petruzio, Fondo Sergio Silva Libri Illustrati
Panel

Loïc Boyer, designer e collezionista; Anna Castagnoli, autrice, illustratrice e collezionista; Vanja Passerini, curatrice, Fondo Sergio Silva Libri Illustrati.

 

Organized by

Fondo Sergio Silva Libri Illustrati

Event Highlights
Illustrators Café

Fostering African Illustration: Training, Contest and Exhibition

Services Centre
Illustrators Café

This training initiative, beginning Autumn 2024, focuses on the design of illustrated picture books. It systematically covers the fundamental stages of the creative process: analyzing and narratively scanning the text, storyboarding, and creating final illustrations along with a proposed cover design. In addition to the design process, the course provides insights into the dynamics of the publishing market, equipping illustrators with the necessary knowledge to present and promote their projects. Professional tools and skills, such as book presentation cards, editorial research, and techniques for contacting and engaging with a publishing house, are also covered. All participants will work on topics provided by editorial teams, allowing them to immediately engage with the editorial reality and develop a book project with inherent potential for publication. The main instructor is the illustrator and designer Francesca Chessa, with professionals from the publishing field contributing on specific topics related to the illustrated picture book industry. Access to the course, limited to 16 participants, is granted through a portfolio selection contest. The book projects created during the course will be showcased at the Bologna Children's Book Fair 2025, forming the initial core of an exhibition dedicated to African illustration. This initiative is a collaboration between BCBF, Aké Arts and Book Festival, in Nigeria, and Mimaster Illustrazione.

Panel

Elena Pasoli, Director, Bologna Children's Book Fair; Giacomo Benelli, Mimaster Illustrazione; Ivan Canu, Mimaster illustrazione; Lola Shoneyin, author and publisher, Ouida Books, Nigeria.

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In cooperation with

Aké Arts, Book Festival, Mimaster Illustrazione

Wednesday 10 April 2024

Illustrators Café

Leggere ancora Alberto Manzi. Le nuove uscite e le sorprese nel Centenario del maestro

Services Centre
Illustrators Café

Orzowei, La luna nelle baracche, Testa rossa tornano disponibili per scoprire l’universo narrativo del maestro di Non è mai troppo tardi.

Moderator
Centro Alberto Manzi
Panel

Stefania Dimella, traduttrice, Rizzoli Ragazzi; Alessandra Falconi, Responsabile Centro Alberto Manzi; Carlo Gallucci, Fondatore casa editrice Gallucci; Massimo Manzi, figlio di Alberto Manzi; Emma Petitti, Presidente Assemblea legislativa Regione Emilia-Romagna; Anselmo Roveda, giornalista e scrittore, Rivista Andersen.

 

Organized by

Centro Alberto Manzi

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Licensing Portfolio Review - ANIMATION: Federica Maggio (Enanimation)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Licensing Portfolio Area

 Event upon reservation only

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

Talks & Presentations

Presentazione Cedole Novità

Sala Bolero
Services Centre - Wing B
Moderator
PDE
Panel

Adelphi; Minibombo; Lapis; La Nuova Frontiera Junior; Valentina Edizioni; Kalandraka; Edizioni Corsare; Quinto Quarto; Gallucci.

Organized by

PDE

The Illustrators Survival Corner
Artificial Intelligence

A manifesto not just against the use of generative artificial intelligence but a manifesto for its regulation - Round-table

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Masterclass Area

A round-table discussion to showcase the importance of creating manifestos as a public declaration of a collective position: from small regions to ministerial interlocution or international campaigns. Francesco Archidiacono, Paolo Rui and Elisabeth Pérez will present three different contexts and contents, speaking about published manifestos that advocate for regulation on the use of AI and the defense of illustrators' rights.

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

Panel

Francesco Archidiacono, EGAIR; Elisabeth Pérez, Professional Association of Basque Illustrators and FADIP-Spanish Federation of Associations of professional illustrators, EIF; Paolo Rui, European Illustrators Forum and Autori d’Immagini.

Organized by

EUSKAL IRUDIGILEAK - Professional Association of Illustrators of the Basque Country

In cooperation with

EIF - European Illustrators Forum, EGAIR - European Guild for Artificial Intelligence Regulation

Talks & Presentations

20 anni di... Artebambini

Sala Vivace
Services Centre - Wing D
Moderator
Mauro Speraggi
Panel

Antonio Catalano; Marta Cartacci; Angela Cattelan; Francesca Cenciarelli; Paola Ciarcià; Silvia Crocicchi; Eleonora Cumer; Valentina Finzi; Laura Garavaglia; Gabriella Ghermandi; Rosalinda Incardona; Franca Mazzoli; Cristina Petit; Ylenia Petrini; Davide Sanna; Nicoletta Saveri; Mauro Speraggi; Giuseppe Vitale.

Organized by

Edizioni Artebambini

In cooperation with

AKI - Associazione Kamishibai Italia

Translators Café
Comics
Aldus Up

I mestieri del fumetto: dal lettering alla traduzione

HALL 30
Translators Café

Preziosa occasione di approfondimento sulle figure e i mestieri del fumetto si inserisce nel ciclo di incontri, organizzato dalla Commissione Comics e Graphic Novels di AIE, con professionisti del settore che condivideranno la propria esperienza. Dopo aver esplorato gli ambiti della redazione, dello scouting e della creazione del portfolio, è la volta del lettering e della traduzione.

Panel

Paola Cantatore, Editor, Franco Cosimo Panini Editore; Alessandro Nalli, Production Manager, Panini Comics; Fabio Gamberini, translator, Panini Comics; Anna Martino, translator, Mondadori; Marco Ficarra, CEO, Studio RAM.

In the framework of

Aldus Up, Comics Corner

Talks & Presentations

Il sole ritrovato. L'illustrazione del secondo Novecento a Sarmede.

Sala Melodia
Services Centre - Wing B
Moderator
Silvia Paccassoni
Panel

Uberto Di Remigio, Presidente, Fondazione Stepan Zavrel; Leo Pizzol, Presidente onorario, Fondazione Stepan Zavrel; Silvia Paccassoni, curatrice della mostra e della Scuola Internazionale d'Illustrazione; Nicoletta Costa, autrice; Carme Sole Vendrell, autrice; Arianna Papini, autrice e Docente, Scuola Internazionale d'Illustrazione; Virginia Portioli, editor, LupoGuido; Eva Montanari, autrice e Docente, Scuola Internazionale d'Illustrazione.

Organized by

Fondazione Mostra Internazionale d'lllustrazione per l'Infanzia Stepan Zavrel

Talks & Presentations

Immaginauti. Pensare controvento per diventare «avventurieri dell'assurdo»

Sala Ronda
Services Centre - Wing C
Panel

Marco Dallari è stato Docente di Pedagogia e Didattica dell’Educazione Artistica presso l’Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna e Firenze, Professore straordinario di Pedagogia Comparata all’Università di Messina e Professore ordinario di Pedagogia Generale e Sociale all’Università di Trento. Ha pubblicato per le edizioni Erickson "In una notte di luna vuota. Educare pensieri metaforici, laterali, impertinenti" (2008) e, con Stefano Moriggi, "Educare bellezza e verità" (2016).

Organized by

Erickson

Event Highlights
Authors Café
Comics

Publishing Graphic Novels for Young Adults: a Conversation with Max de Radiguès, Isabel Minhós Martins and Simona Binni

HALL 30
Authors Café

Young adult comics continue to be one of the fastest growing sectors in this industry. How to choose and publish graphic novels that can speak directly to teenagers and appeal to young readers? Three publishers, who are also artists and writers themselves, responsible for some of the best comic book series in Europe, explain how they managed to reach one of the most coveted audiences in the market.

Panel

Simona Binni, comics artist and Editorial Director, Tunué, Italy; Max de Radiguès, comics artist and Editorial Director, Sarbacane, France; Isabel Minhós Martins, writer and Co-founder, Planeta Tangerina, Portugal; Elisabetta Mongardi, Hamelin, Italy.

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In cooperation with

Hamelin, Sarbacane

In the framework of

Comics Corner

The Illustrators Survival Corner

TOMFOOLERY! Explore how Randolph Caldecott has Influenced Pictures Books Past & Present - Workshop with Barbara McClintock

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Workshop Area

Explore how Randolph Caldecott, for whom the Caldecott award is named, revolutionized picture books and influences them today. Draw and/or write following formats established by Caldecott.

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Panel

Barbara McClintock, illustrator.

Organized by

Society of Illustrators

In cooperation with

 Bologna Children's Book Fair

In the framework of

The Original Art Exhibition

Event Highlights
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Finding a Voice through Osmosis - Masterclass with Neil Packer

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Masterclass Area

The gradual and unconscious assimilation of ideas and the way this process informs and gives voice to Neil Packer's work.

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

Panel

Neil Packer, author and illustrator.

In cooperation with

Camelozampa

Event Highlights
PublisHer

Innovations in Publishing: Female Perspectives

HALL 29, B44-C41
PublisHer Area

Explore how female publishers have contributed to innovations in the publishing world. Discussing the adoption of new technologies, creative marketing strategies, and unique editorial approaches.

Organized by

PublisHer

Event Highlights
Book Lovers' Café

Origins: Indigenous voices in children's books

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
Book Lovers' Café

In a world where Western thought is losing its hegemony in the face of the profound crisis of civilization we are experiencing, indigenous belief systems are being viewed with new respect and are pointing the way forward, prompting us to reconsider fundamental issues such as solidarity, mutual aid, respect for nature, and cultural diversity. Inspired by Nat Cardozo's book Origen, published by Zorro Rojo, the event serves as BCBF's homage to indigenous communities, many of which are still on the margins of the publishing market.

Moderator
Dolores Prades, Founder, Director and editor, Istituto Emília, Brazil
Panel

Nat Cardozo, author and illustrator, Uruguay; Adolfo Córdova, author, Mexico; Jason Low, publisher and Co-owner, Lee & Low Books, USA; Aviaq Johnston, Inuk author, Canada; Victor D.O. Santos, linguist and children's books author, Brazil/USA; David Unger, author and translator, Guatemala/USA; Eboni Waitere, Director, Huia Publishers, New Zealand.

 

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair, Instituto Emília

With the support of

ITA-Italian Trade Agency and MAECI-Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Embassy of Canada to Italy, PANZ Publishers, Association of Publishers of New Zealand

 

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Ken Wilson-Max (HarperCollins Publishers)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Lola Barcelò (Kalandraka Editora)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Prashant Pathak (Prakash Books - Fingerprint Publishing & Wonder House Books)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Illustrators Café

When Two Seas Meet in Bologna. A Sea of Creativity: Taiwan. A Sea of Stories: Davide Calì.

Services Centre
Illustrators Café

The exhibition, hosted at the Archaeological Museum of Bologna from April 9th to May 26th, 2024, features over forty illustrators, comic artists, and digital artists from Taiwan, along with twenty-four illustrators of stories by Davide Calì. The event highlights cultural connection, the fusion of imagination and technology, and the link between text and images.

Panel

Davide Calì, comics artist, illustrator and author, Italy; Rex How, publisher, Taiwan; Grazia Gotti, Accademia Drosselmeier.

Organized by

Accademia Drosselmeier

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

Translation Forum 1. Books From Taiwan: Discover and Translate

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre

Taiwan is home to a wealth of literature waiting to be discovered. Covering a range of genres from fiction to manga to children’s books, Taiwan agents and publishers are the gateway to undiscovered and yet to be translated books. With a generous translation grant available for rights buying publishers, this session will highlight how to engage with Taiwan and where to look for its hidden gems.

Panel

Catrina Liu, Project Manager, Books from Taiwan; Shin Su, MD, Bk Agency; Kim Pai, Founder, The PaiSha Agency; Daniel Hahn, author and translator.

Organized by

BBPlus

In cooperation with

Taiwan Creative Content Agency

Translators Café

What we translate when we translate for children

HALL 30
Translators Café
Panel

Valeria Buzi, Editorial Director, Il Barbagianni; Tommaso Gurrieri, Editorial Director, Clichy Editions; Silvia Nono, Chief Editor, Children Series, Emons Editions.

Talks & Presentations

Costruire minilibri per insegnare italiano e matematica

Sala Ronda
Services Centre - Wing C
Panel

Desirèe Rossi, laureata in Scienze dell'educazione e in Psicologia clinica, è stata insegnante presso le scuole dell’infanzia della Provincia autonoma di Trento e attualmente insegna nella scuola primaria. Collabora con il Settore Ricerca e Sviluppo Erickson, con il quale ha partecipato alla progettazione di SOFIA, un sistema esperto per la stesura di PEI e PDP.

Organized by

Erickson

Talks & Presentations

Davide Longo presenta il suo primo giallo per ragazze e ragazzi "Il gioco della salamandra"

Sala Suite
Services Centre - Wing D
Panel

Alice Bigli; Davide Longo.

Organized by

Mondadori Libri

Authors Café
Comics

Melancholic, Sarcastic, Brilliant and tenderly cruel… female protagonists in comics dominate the scene

HALL 30
Authors Café

Who are Adele, Mira and Astrid? Who narrates them? Who draws them? Who translates them? Who publishes them? Do they have many readers? Are they known by teachers?.

Panel

Giulia Rizzo, Editorial Vice Director, Terre di Mezzo, Italy; Caterina Ramonda, translator, Becco Giallo, Italy; Della Passarelli, Editorial Director, Sinnos, Italy; Grazia Gotti, Accademia Drosselmeier-Kids Comics, Italy.

Organized by

Bologna Children’s Book Fair

In cooperation with

Accademia Drosselmeier-Kids Comics

In the framework of

Comics Corner

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Elizabeth Pérez Fernández (Bonito Editorial)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Lulu Kirschenbaum and Manuel Rud (Editorial Limonero)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Event Highlights
Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids
Artificial Intelligence

The role of Artificial Intelligence in the creation of intellectual properties

HALL 29 MALL 2
Licensing Conference Room

What is generative Artificial Intelligence and what role does it play in the creative process? How is it positioned in the chain of editorial and television content rights? What are the challenges posed by its relentless development? What are the current and future legal implications?.

Panel

Francesca Perri, Partner Tonucci & Partners Law Firm, Italy.

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

In cooperation with

Licensing Magazine

In the framework of

International Kids Licensing Days, Tv/Film Rights Centre

BolognaBookPlus
The Illustrators Survival Corner
Awards & Contests

Indie Authors Book Jacket Award: Winner and Special Mentions

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

Organized by

Bologna Book Plus

Event Highlights
Illustrators Café
Awards & Contests

The reason behind a choice. Meeting with the Illustrators Exhibition Jury 2024

Services Centre
Illustrators Café
Moderator
Marcella Terrusi, Professor, University of Bologna.
Panel

Marco Ghidelli, Raum Italic, Italy; Xiaoyan Huang, Everafter Books, China; Lee Ho Baek, Jaimimage, illustrator, South Korea; Øyvind Torseter, illustrator, Norway.

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Licensing Portfolio Review - FASHION/TOY: Karen Alexandra Loewy (Meravillarte)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Licensing Portfolio Area

 Event upon reservation only

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Simone Rea

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Talks & Presentations

Presentazione del saggio “La rete e la zappa” di Giuseppe Capozza

Sala Allegretto
Services Centre - Wing C
Moderator
Cosimo Rodia, GSLG
Panel

Angelo Nobile, Università di Parma; Cosimo Rodia, Università del Salento.

Organized by

GSLG - Associazione di Promozione Sociale

In cooperation with

Besa Muci

The Illustrators Survival Corner

The Original Art Exhibition Tour

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - The Original Art Exhibition

Delve into the Original Art Exhibition, gaining exclusive insights into the 2023 medal winners and their acclaimed work.

 

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

 

Organized by

Society of Illustrators

In cooperation with

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In the framework of

The Original Art Exhibition

BolognaBookPlus
Aldus Up

Translation Forum 2. Marketing and Promotion of Books in Translation: Who, How and Why?

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre

 In various book markets worldwide, a significant portion of the literature available is comprised of translations from foreign languages into the native language. Publishers and booksellers face the task of effectively marketing and selling these translated books to the general public. One key question arises: do marketing and promotion techniques differ for translated literature? Additionally, what challenges and opportunities do publishers and booksellers encounter in the sale of translated books? Moreover, how does the author and translator contribute to the marketing process when their book is available in multiple languages? Lastly, the panel will provide practical steps and advice for creating a successful campaign for translated literature.

Panel

Merve Yavuzdemir, TEDA Translation Grant Project; Katharina Bielenberg;  Tamer Said, Director, SILA - Sharjah International Literary Agency; Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief, Publishing Perspectives.

Organized by

BBPlus

In the framework of

Aldus Up

Event Highlights
The Illustrators Survival Corner

What Makes an Illustrated Book an International Success - Masterclass with Steven Guarnaccia, Cecilia Ruiz, Felicita Sala, Victoria Tentler-Krylov

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Masterclass Area

Society of Illustrators featured artists explore the creative elements that propel illustrated books to international acclaim through diverse cultural lenses.

 

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

 

Panel

Felicita Sala, illustrator; Victoria Tentler-Krylov, illustrator; Cecilia Ruiz, author and illustrator; Steven Guarnaccia, author, illustrator and designer.

Organized by

Society of Illustrators

In cooperation with

 Bologna Children's Book Fair

In the framework of

The Original Art Exhibition

The Illustrators Survival Corner
Artificial Intelligence

Illustrator's Roadmap to Success: Unleashing Entrepreneurial Power and Navigating the AI Landscape - Masterclass

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Workshop Area

Providing valuable insights and guidance to fellow illustrators seeking to thrive in an increasingly dynamic and technology-driven industry. Provide actionable advice and tips to develop their own roadmap to success. Offer practical strategies and insights, highlighting the significance of the intersection between artistry, entrepreneurship and technology. Discuss the entrepreneurial mindset and its importance for illustrators.

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

Panel

Nurgül Şenefe, Founder and President, Illustrators Platform and Board of members, European Illustrators Forum.

Organized by

Illustrators Platform

With the support of

ZNN Network

Event Highlights
Authors Café
Comics

On a journey through Canadian comics

HALL 30
Authors Café

The Canadian comics scene is rich, interesting, and of quality. Canadian production is well received in the market. Let’s talk with the protagonists.

Panel

Peggy Burns, Presidente ed editore, Drawn & Quarterly, Canada; Frédéric Gauthier, Co-fondatore ed editore, La Pastèque, Canada; Grazia Gotti, Accademia Drosselmeier; Valerie Picard, editore e Co-fondatrice, Monsieur Ed, Canada.

Organized by

Bologna Children’s Book Fair

In cooperation with

Accademia Drosselmeier-Kids Comics

In the framework of

Comics Corner

BolognaBookPlus

Mille voci fuori dal coro

HALL 29 MALL 1
AIE Italian Collective Stand, BBPlus

Uomini e donne, indimenticabili della Letteratura, raccontano un momento che ha segnato la loro vita... Un esperimento che ogni lettore può fare.

Panel

Viviana Sgorbini, Editrice, Tomolo EdiGio'; Silvia Dotti, autrice e illustratrice; Lorenzo Di Salvio (Dissy), autore e illustratore.

Organized by

Tomolo EdiGio'

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Davide Calì

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Marcella Peluffo

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Organized by

Autori di Immagini Association

Event Highlights
Awards & Contests
Talks & Presentations

Premio Carla Poesio per la migliore tesi di laurea in letteratura per l'infanzia

Sala Melodia
Services Centre - Wing B

 Presentazione del Premio Carla Poesio per la migliore tesi di laurea in letteratura per l'infanzia. Incontro con la giuria e con il vincitore di questa edizione, Matteo Lazzari, che presenterà la sua tesi “L’Israel dei bambini”: storia di un periodico per bambini nell’Italia del dopoguerra (1949-1952) e la collaborazione al giornalino di Emanuele Luzzati" che sarà pubblicata nel 2025 grazie al sostegno di BolognaFiere.

Panel

 Emma Beseghi, Università di Bologna; Pino Boero, Università di Genova; Lorenzo Cantatore, Università Roma Tre; Matteo Lazzari, vincitore Premio Poesio 2024.

Organized by

 Bologna Children's Book Fair

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids

Tom Gates: brilliant books, tv and other partnerships

HALL 29 MALL 2
Licensing Conference Room

The conference explores the world beyond the books to see how a globally successful children's book series inspired an award-winning TV series as well as a myriad of other partnerships across licensing and live events. Are the close collaborations between the production and rights management company, the creator, the publisher, and the commissioning broadcaster in a collaborative and co-ordinated way the key to successfully creating and marketing a growing brand? In this panel we will go in depth on a case history brought by TG Entertainment (TGE), which creates audio visual content and manages the brand and licensing rights for The Brilliant World of Tom Gates, based on Liz Pichon's best-selling book series for children aged 7-12, published by Scholastic.

Panel

Ken Anderson, Managing Director and Executive Producer, TG Entertainment Ltd., UK; Liz Keynes, Head of Rights and Licensing, TG Entertainment Ltd. UK.

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

In cooperation with

Licensing Magazine

In the framework of

International Kids Licensing Days, Tv/Film Rights Centre

Event Highlights
Book Lovers' Café

The most precious thing: Victor D.O. Santos in conversation with Vera Gheno

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
Book Lovers' Café

«It has existed for a very long time. It knows how to be sweet, but also very harsh. You find it in every home, on every street, in every city. If it dies, an entire world disappears. It is language! Guardian of every culture, essence of our humanity». The most precious thing is the book by linguist and author Victor D.O. Santos, protagonist of a dialogue with Vera Gheno, the book's translator. The volume, illustrated by Anna Forlati, is published by Terre di Mezzo, in collaboration with UNESCO, on the occasion of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022-2032).

Moderator
Caterina Ramonda
Panel

Victor D.O. Santos, author; Anna Forlati, illustrator; Vera Gheno, linguist.

Organized by

Terre di Mezzo Editore

The Illustrators Survival Corner

A conversation with Nadine Brun-Cosme and Olivier Tallec - Masterclass

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Masterclass Area

One of the most successful artistic collaborations that highlights the importance of the coexistence of words and images in the conception and realisation of picture books. From "Grand Loup & Petit Loup" (Lupo & Lupetto, Edizioni Clichy) to "Rabbit, Duck and Big Bear" ("Coniglio, papera e grande orso", Edizioni Clichy).

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

Panel

Nadine Brun-Cosme, author; Olivier Tallec, illustrator; Anselmo Roveda, author.

Organized by

Edizioni Clichy

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus
Aldus Up

European Union Prize for Literature: announcement and networking drinks

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre

 The European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL), supported by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, is an annual initiative to recognise the best emerging fiction writers in Europe. The Prize aims to put the spotlight on the creativity and diverse wealth of Europe’s contemporary literature in the field of fiction, to promote the circulation of literature within Europe and to encourage greater interest in non-national literary works. The EUPL is organised by the Federation of European Publishers and the European and International Booksellers Federation. During the networking event, the laureates of the 2024 edition of the Prize will be announced (after the award ceremony of 4 April at the Brussels Book Fair), at the presence of the organising consortium and one of the previous years’ winners

Panel

Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin, Writer, EUPL 2022 Special Mention, Ireland; Enrico Turrin, Deputy Director, Federation of European Publishers.

Organized by

BBPlus

Event Highlights
Slovenia Guest of Honour

Guided Tour of "And then what happens?" - GoH Illustrator's Exhibition

-
Services Center
Organized by

Slovenia Guest of Honour

Translators Café

The Translator's Workshop: will you translate a story for me?

HALL 30
Translators Café
Panel

Alessandra Petrelli, translator.

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Ali Boozari (Tehran University of Art)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Pietro Corraini (Corraini Edizioni)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Steven Luttrell (Books Everywhere)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Talks & Presentations

LIVING TOYS. CHILDREN AND CHILDREN'S LITERATURE

Sala Allegretto
Services Centre - Wing C

The presentation of the volume Living Toys. Children and Children's Literature.  The presentation will be a unique opportunity to explore the link between childhood, literature and living toys, validating a sort of empathic sharingbetween child, toys and animals. the first novel that portrays a form of interiority ina  doll dates back to 1816 in England, in Italy with La storia di una bambola di A. Vertua Gentile in 1906. The editors of the essay, Claudia Camicia and Elena Paruolo, will offer a summary of the reflections tha t emerged from the researches of authoritative English, American and Italian scholars: P. Hunt, P. Merchant, D. Marcheschi, S. Zanardo, S. Tondo, E. Paruolo, C. Camicia,  L. Rowe Fraustino, P. Vagliani. 

The follow speak: S. Tondo, University S. Orsola Benincasa in Naples; Andrea Dessardo European University of Rome; Angelo Nobile University of Parma. Attending also the Publisher A. De Dominicis, Edizioni Scientifiche (Naples).

Moderator
Elena Paruolo, Università di Salerno
Panel

Peter Merchant.

Organized by

GSLG - Associazione di Promozione Sociale

In cooperation with

European University of Rome

Talks & Presentations

Presentazione della collana "Ossigeno", libri da leggere tutti d'un fiato

Sala Suite
Services Centre - Wing D
Panel

Alessandro Barbaglia; Alice Bigli; Francesco D'Adamo; Sara Di Rosa.

Organized by

Mondadori Libri

Event Highlights
Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids

From books to screen. Facts and figures

HALL 29 MALL 2
Licensing Conference Room

In occasion of the brand-new TV/Film Rights Centre at the Bologna Children's Book Fair, we offer a panel in which we illustrate some figures and trends in audiovisual development inspired by books for children. How central is a book-inspired IP in today's television programming? And how important is it for a producer to look for book-inspired properties as opposed to original ones? Where is the market heading today?.

Panel

Olivia Deane, senior analyst, Ampere Analysis, UK.

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

In cooperation with

Licensing Magazine

In the framework of

International Kids Licensing Days, Tv/Film Rights Centre

Book Lovers' Café

"Libri anfibi" - Cerimonia di premiazione 8° edizione Premio Malerba per l'albo illustrato

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
Book Lovers' Café

Giunto alla sua 8° edizione, il Premio Luigi Malerba per l'albo illustrato si conferma punto di riferimento per la segnalazione di opere rivolte all'infanzia e all'adolescenza di particolare rilievo dal punto di vista letterario, artistico, formativo. La crescita - qualitativa e quantitativa - del settore editoriale dei picture book è confermata dalle opere giunte al concorso, i cui vincitori saranno resi noti nel corso di questo incontro presso BCBF.

Panel

Anna Malerba, Presidente del Premio Malerba; Martino Negri, Professore Universitario Milano-Bicocca; Cristina Taglietti, giornalista de la Lettura -Corriere della Sera; Paola Vassalli, curatrice indipendente; Simone di Biasio, ricercatore Università Roma Tre.

Organized by

Associazione Letteraria Luigi Malerba

In cooperation with

MuSEd - Museo della Scuola e dell'Educazione, Università Roma Tre

With the support of

  Dipartimento di Scienze della Formazione - Università Roma Tre

Event Highlights
Illustrators Café
Awards & Contests

Announcement of the winner of the International Award of Illustration BCBF, Fundación SM; Announcement of the winner of the 2024 Ars in Fabula Grant Award; Prize giving ceremony of the 2024 Illustrators Exhibition selected artists

Services Centre
Illustrators Café
Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

Authors Café

Happy Birthday Ulf Stark!

HALL 30
Authors Café

This year Ulf Stark, one of the greatest writers for children, would have been 80 years old. Born in Stockholm in 1944, Stark was an author and screenwriter second only to Astrid Lindgren. His books, a warm and accurate exploration of children's perspective, have been awarded the Astrid Lindgren Prize, the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis, the Augustpriset, and the Nordic Children's Book Prize. This panel is a tribute to a seminal voice in European literature, and an opportunity to learn about his work through the voices of publishers, authors, and fellow authors.

Panel

Linda Bondestam, iIllustrator, Finlandia; Laura Cangemi, translator, Italy; Pino Costalunga, actor and Theatre Director, Italy; Kitty Crowther, illustrator, Belgium; Nicola Galli Laforest, Hamelin, Italy; Cristina Gerosa, Publishing Director Editor, Iperborea, Italy; Janina Orlov Stark, translator and researcher, Sweden.

Organized by

Hamelin

In cooperation with

Iperborea

BolognaBookPlus

India in the Limelight. Global Opportunities for General and Children's Publishing in India: Export or Translation?

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre
Organized by

BBPlus

In cooperation with

National Book Trust India

Event Highlights
The Illustrators Survival Corner

East/West round trip: the aestethic codes of children's illustration - Masterclass with Anna Castagnoli and Yang Zhong

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Masterclass Area

A conversation between Anna Castagnoli and professor Yang Zhong, both jurors of the first edition of the "Chinese Excellence in Children’s Illustration" exhibition. How images are designed in the East, the visual and technical codes, the relationship between image and text and the mutual influences between East and West in art and illustration.

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

Panel

Anna Castagnoli, author, illustrator, researcher and collector of children's books; Yang Zhong, Associate Professor, Central Academy of Fine Arts, PhD, Director Department of Culture and Urbanism School of Urban Design, Director Picture Book Creation Workshop and Master's Degree Tutor, engaged in picture book research and education, promotion and planning.

In the framework of

Chinese Excellence in Children’s Illustration Exhibition 2024

International Bookshop

Book Signing with Jérémie Moreau

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
International Bookshop
Event Highlights
Translators Café
Slovenia Guest of Honour
Comics

Slovenian Comics in translation

HALL 30
Translators Café
Panel

Majda Koren, Damijan Stepančič, Jurij Devetak, David Krančan.

Organized by

Sinnos, JAK - Slovenian Book Agency

In the framework of

Slovenia Guest of Honour, Comics Corner

Event Highlights
Awards & Contests
Book Lovers' Café

The winners of the BolognaRagazzi Awards 2024: The Sea special category

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
Book Lovers' Café

The Sea special category winner: Giù nel blu - Dalla superficie agli abissi: viaggio sottomarino sfogliabile (Down in the Blue - From the Surface to the Abyss: a Browsable Underwater Journey), Nomos Edizioni, Italy, 2021, Text by Gianumberto Accinelli, Illustrations by Giulia Zaffaroni.

 

Moderator
Giorgia Grilli, Professor, University of Bologna
Panel

Emanuele Tosi, publisher, Nomos Edizioni; Andrea Amato, Art Director, Nomos Edizioni; Gianumberto Accinelli, author; Giulia Zaffaroni, illustrator Giù nel blu - Dalla superficie agli abissi: viaggio sottomarino sfogliabile (Down in the Blue - From the Surface to the Abyss: a Browsable Underwater Journey).

 

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

Authors Café
Comics

Absolute Beginners. Comics win over toddlers

HALL 30
Authors Café

A new trend in world publishing: Comics for beginning readers.

Moderator
Grazia Gotti, Accademia Drosselmeier
Panel

Matteo Stefanelli, Art Director COMICON and Director Fumettologica; Imma Napodano, Founder, Bibi Libreria dei Ragazzi, Naples.

 

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In cooperation with

Comicon, ALIR, Accademia Drosselmeier

In the framework of

Comics Corner

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Annual contests and international illustration showcases in the time of social media and self-promotion - Masterclass

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Workshop Area

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

Panel

Steve Compton, Society of Illustrators; Paolo Rui, European Illustrators Forum and Autori d’Immagini; Anna Rossi, Autori d'Immagini.

In cooperation with

Society of Illustrators, Autori d'Immagini

In the framework of

BolognaBookPlus

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

Jackets Off: Considering Different Cultural Iterations of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre
Panel

 Steven Guarnaccia, illustrator and designer; Ivan Canu, Mimaster Illustrazione

Organized by

BBPlus

Event Highlights
Illustrators Café

Literature as the driver of change. IBBY Italia towards the 39th IBBY World Congress 2024

Services Centre
Illustrators Café

From 30th August to 1st September 2024, Italy will host the 39th International Congress of IBBY - International Board on Books for Young People. More than 600 participants from the world of children's books (writers, illustrators, translators, publishers, librarians, booksellers, educators and reading promoters, scholars, trainers, volunteers, health professionals and more) are expected to gather in Trieste from all continents around the main theme "Join the Revolution. Giving every child good books". Along the path leading to the Congress, IBBY Italia has invited Roberto Innocenti (the first Italian author to receive the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2008 after Gianni Rodari in 1970) to contribute to the theme of "Literature as a driver of change". Paola Vassalli, author and curator, Executive Board IBBY Italia and Valentina Zucchi, curator Palazzo Medici Riccardi, Florence will dialogue with the author on the role of literature, in particular youth literature, in building society and promoting revolutionary practices in education and within our communities. Introduced by Elisabetta Lippolis, Vice President IBBY Italia, coordinator IBBY Congress 2024

Panel

Roberto Innocenti, iIllustrator, HCA Award 2008; Paola Vassalli, author and curator, Executive Board, IBBY Italia; Valentina Zucchi, curator, Palazzo Medici Riccardi, Florence. Introduced by Elisabetta Lippolis, Vice President, IBBY Italia and coordinator, IBBY Congress 2024.

Organized by

IBBY Italia

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Licensing Portfolio Review - FASHION: Francesca Cozzi (J. Brand International)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Licensing Portfolio Area

 Event upon reservation only

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Licensing Portfolio Review - TOY: Francesca Di Egidio (Headu)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Licensing Portfolio Area

 Event upon reservation only

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Martha Rago (Penguin Random House)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Talks & Presentations

Knight, jester, poet. The young Saint Francis told to the young readers.

Sala Vivace
Services Centre - Wing D

Silvia Vecchini talks with Matteo De Benedittis, author of the novel about Saint Francis Come allodole di notte (Like Larks at Night).

Panel

Silvia Vecchini; Matteo De Benedittis.

Organized by

San Paolo Edizioni

Coffee & Networking

HALL 29, B44-C41
PublisHer Area
Organized by
PublisHer
In cooperation with
Bologna Children's Book Fair
Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids

How to pitch your book based IP

HALL 29 MALL 2
Licensing Conference Room

Rules and advice for publishers and authors on which story to choose from their catalogue, for what reasons and then how to pitch the story to tv and film producers.

Moderator
tefano Marrone, Media Producer and Creative Director, Unit9 Group, USA
Panel

Marco Ponti, writer, screenwriter and Art Director, Italy; Harriet Webster, writer and screenwriter, UK.

 

 

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

In cooperation with

Licensing Magazine, Book on a Tree

In the framework of

International Kids Licensing Days, Tv/Film Rights Centre

International Bookshop

Book Signing with Felicita Sala

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
International Bookshop
Event Highlights
Translators Café
Slovenia Guest of Honour

Focus on Slovenian literature translated into italian

HALL 30
Translators Café
Panel

Martina Clerici, translator; Martina Kafol, Editoriale Stampa Triestina; Della Passarelli, Sinnos; Julija Potrč Šavli, children literature translator, DSKP, IBBY Slovenia; Matteo Sabato, Besa Muci.

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In the framework of

Slovenia Guest of Honour

Event Highlights
The Illustrators Survival Corner
Awards & Contests

The process of BCBF 2024 Visual Identity and a glimpse into 2025 - Masterclass

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Masterclass Area

The story of how the Chialab working group guided illustrator Inês Oliveira towards the creation of the Bologna Children's Book Fair Visual Identity2024. A look "behind the scenes" of the process and a glance to 2025.

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

Panel

Elena Pasoli, Director, Bologna Children's Book Fair; Inês Oliveira, illustrator, author BCBF Visual Identity 2024, in co-production with Chialab Design; Beppe Chia and Jessica Cantoni, Chialab.

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In cooperation with

Chialab Design

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Francesca Chessa

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Paolo D'Altan

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Organized by

Autori di Immagini Association

BolognaBookPlus

Rududum e la Bambina: the Fairytale of the Little Red Riding Hood Told From Another Point of View

HALL 29 MALL 1
AIE Italian Collective Stand, BBPlus

The immortal fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood narrated from a different perspective. Thus, a new story is born, delicate, inclusive, and poetic, where good and evil clash with magical effects but also blur because truth is never singular. A fairy tale that preserves the evocative power of the classic one, teaching all of us that our fears and weaknesses must be faced with courage to find our own path.

Panel

Paolo Visconti, author; Andrea Nicolucci, illustrator; Gabriella De Paoli, Head of Marketing and Communication, Edizioni Astragalo.

Organized by

Edizioni Astragalo

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

Audio Forum: Introduction and In Conversation with Amanda D'Acierno, Penguin Random House USA

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre
Panel

Jacks Thomas, Guest Director, BolognaBookPlus; Nathan Hull, Chief Strategy Officer, Beat Technology.

Organized by

BBPlus

Event Highlights
Book Lovers' Café

Dall'idea al libro. Le regole del set-up perfetto

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
Book Lovers' Café

Scrivi storie per ragazzi, crei illustrazioni, ami tradurre oppure vorresti farlo in modo professionale? Hai un'idea straordinaria ma non sai come trasformarla in un libro? Scopri in questo workshop pratico le regole per preparare e realizzare il set-up perfetto e sottoporre la tua idea ad agenzie e case editrici: gli elementi essenziali che non possono mancare, le fasi del lavoro, le modalità migliori e, soprattutto, gli errori da evitare.

Panel

Pierdomenico Baccalario, scrittore e fondatore di Book on a Tree, Professore del Master Children’s Books & Co.; Gaia Stock, Direttrice Editoriale EL Einaudi Ragazzi Emme Edizioni, Professoressa del Master Children’s Books & Co.; Paola Di Giampaolo, Project Manager dei Master in Editoria dell'Università Cattolica, Milano.

Organized by

Master in Editoria Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano, Bologna Children's Book Fair

In cooperation with

Book on a Tree

Talks & Presentations

"Prendi e scopri". Progettare libri-gioco: voci a confronto

Sala Ouverture
Services Centre - Wing D
Moderator
Ilaria Tontardini, Hamelin
Panel

Amalia Maria Amendola, Centro per il libro e la lettura, Ministero della Cultura (Italia); Emanuela Bussolati, autrice, illustratrice e ideatrice di libri e collane per l'infanzia (Italia); Chiara Carminati, autrice di storie, poesie e testi teatrali per bambini e ragazzi (Italia); Massimiliano Tappari, fotografo, poeta e autore (Italia); Lucie Felix, autrice e progettista di libri-gioco (Francia).

Organized by

Hamelin - Progetto Prendi e scopri

In cooperation with

Centro per il libro e la lettura

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Book Jackets Portfolio Review - Stefano Cipolla (L'Espresso)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

The Review is only for book covers and not children illustration portfolios. 

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

In cooperation with

BolognaBookPlus

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Comprehensive Techniques of Chinese Paper Cuttings and Propylene - Workshop with Gui Tuzi

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Workshop Area

Gui Tuzi will lead participants to explore the Chinese symmetric aesthetics through paper cutting. They will blend Chinese paper cutting with acrylic techniques to produce unique illustrated artworks. Event in Chinese with English translation.

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Panel

Gui Tuzi, illustrator, picturebook author.

In cooperation with

China Shanghai International Children's Book Fair, Golden Pinwheel Young Illustrators Competition

International Bookshop

Book Signing with Gianumberto Accinelli and Giulia Zaffaroni

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
International Bookshop
Talks & Presentations

Gli albi illustrati a scuola: ricerca, lettura e pratiche creative

Sala Suite
Services Centre - Wing D
Moderator
Cristina Caponeri, Editrice Il Castoro
Panel

Falpalà, libraia per l'infanzia; Elena Marasco, Philosophy for Children; Antonella Capetti, insegnante di Scuola Primaria.

Organized by

Editrice Il Castoro

Talks & Presentations

La statistica unisce e diverte le nuove generazioni. Istat e AIB Emilia-Romagna in un dialogo costruttivo tra innovazione e tradizione

Sala Ronda
Services Centre - Wing C
Moderator
Caporrella Nadia
Panel

Rina Camporese; Paolo Tinti; Nadia Caporrella; Silvia Da Valle; Alessia Bergamini; Debora Dameri.

Organized by

Istat

In cooperation with

AIB Emilia-Romagna

Talks & Presentations

L'Odissea spiegata male

Sala Allegretto
Services Centre - Wing C
Moderator
 Irene Greco e l'illustratore Daw
Organized by

De Agostini Libri

Event Highlights
Authors Café
Aldus Up
Artificial Intelligence

Navigating the Future: AI Tools for Publishers

HALL 30
Authors Café

Join us for a fascinating panel discussion on the exciting intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and publishing today. Our panelists, will delve into how AI is transforming various aspects of publishing. From marketing strategies to printing processes and content creation, we'll explore the innovative solutions that are reshaping the landscape. Whether you’re a publisher, marketer, or content creator, this panel promises insights and practical takeaways to reinforce our believe that AI and human ingenuity can coexist in the world of children's books.

Moderator
Neal Hoskins, WingedChariot
Panel

Ashley Gordon, Publishing Market Development Manager, PageWide Industrial Division of HP Inc; Sebastian Wehner, CEO, Wonderz and Wolkenlenker; Sam Habibi Minelli, electronic engineer, responsible for international partnerships for digital publishing and education sectors, creative industries, Gruppo Meta, independent expert for the European Commission for AI and research funded projects; Searsha Sadek, Founder and Chief Product Officer, Shimmr.

 

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In cooperation with

WingedChariot

In the framework of

Aldus Up

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Marija Spasić (Izdavaštvo Jeti)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Event Highlights
Illustrators Café
Awards & Contests

Premio Strega Ragazze e Ragazzi 2024. Annuncio del libro vincitore nella categoria "Narrazione per immagini"

Services Centre
Illustrators Café
Moderator
Marcella Terrusi, Docente, Università di Bologna
Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In cooperation with

Fondazione Bellonci

Talks & Presentations

The places of reading culture

Sala Melodia
Services Centre - Wing B

"The Reading Culture Places" publication set which will present to children all the processes from the birth of a book to its meeting with readers, in 7 different places, with 7 different literary expressions and from the illustration of 7 different illustrators, aims to raise awareness of children on issues such as books and intellectual property rights from a young age.

At the event, information will also be given about the TEDA support program provided by our Ministry of Culture and Tourism, which has the vision of supporting creative and cultural industries, in case this publication set is translated into other language.

 

Speeches will be translated in Italiano by Ministry 

Moderator
Melike Gunyuz
Panel

Figen Yaman Cosar, author; Merve Ergenoglu, illustrator; Rumeysa Abis, illustrator; Ozlem Fedai Kocak, illustrator.

Organized by

Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids

How many tv series are by Gatti?

HALL 29 MALL 2
Licensing Conference Room

When two different producers from two different countries discover that they have bought the rights to translate two different series of novels by the same author into animation, there is only one thing to do: get to know the author.

Moderator
Stefano Marrone, Media Producer and Creative Director, Unit9 Group, USA
Panel

Alessandro Gatti, writer and screenwriter, Italy; Mark Mertens, Managing Director & Producer, Fabrique D'Images & FDI Group, Lussemburgo; Francesco Catarinolo, Film Director and Creative Producer, Studio Pandora, Italy.

 

 

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

In cooperation with

Licensing Magazine, Book on a Tree

In the framework of

International Kids Licensing Days, Tv/Film Rights Centre

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

Audio Forum: Multi-language Strategies in the Global Audiobook Market

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre
Panel

Miles Stevens-Hoare, Managing Director, RBmedia International.

Organized by

BBPlus

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Book Jackets Portfolio Review - Cecilia Flegenheimer (Mondadori)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

The Review is only for book covers and not children illustration portfolios.

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

In cooperation with

BolognaBookPlus

International Bookshop

Book Signing with Emma AdBåge

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
International Bookshop
International Bookshop

Book Signing with Hervé Tullet

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
International Bookshop
Event Highlights
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Moleste, un manifesto per la difesa delle donne nel mondo dei fumetti e dell'illustrazione - Masterclass

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Masterclass Area

In the comic book and illustration sector, discrimination in the workplace, inappropriate actions, and attitudes in schools and events are prevalent. These behaviors undermine the dignity of professional women who play a vital role in sustaining the book industry through their work. Autori di Immagini engages in a discussion with Moleste, a collective of female authors, to address these issues. Moleste focuses on giving voice and visibility to the numerous testimonies of women and girls, with the aim of combating the male-dominated reality and advocating for equal rights in our field of visual storytelling.

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

Panel

Flavio Rosati, President, Autori di Immagini; Davide Costa, cartoonist; Margherita Tramutoli, illustrator, cartoonist and lecturer; Deborah Tommasini, cartoonist, Art Director and illustrator.

Organized by

Autori di Immagini Association

In cooperation with

Moleste

BolognaBookPlus

The Fast Changing Landscape of Indian Publishing

HALL 29 MALL 1
AIE Italian Collective Stand, BBPlus
Organized by

FICCI

The Illustrators Survival Corner

The Original Art Exhibition Tour

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - The Original Art Exhibition

Delve into the Original Art Exhibition, gaining exclusive insights into the 2023 medal winners and their acclaimed work.

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Organized by

Society of Illustrators

In cooperation with

 Bologna Children's Book Fair

In the framework of

The Original Art Exhibition

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

Audio Forum: Podcasts, Adaption to Audio... and Back

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre
Panel

Michele Cobb, President, Audio Publishers Association; Chiara Santella, Founder, Studio Ochenta; Sabrina Tinelli, Head of Content, Chora; Carla Herbertson, Founder, Small Wardour.

Organized by

BBPlus

Book Lovers' Café

Un festival e una rivista: la poesia vola

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
Book Lovers' Café

Un festival, una rivista, un centro internazionale di poesia. A Castel Maggiore la migliore poesia per bambini e ragazzi è di casa. Ed è da qui che dal 2023 parte, per andare in giro per l'Italia e per il mondo, sulle pagine del Junior Poetry Magazine. Junior Poetry Magazine/Festival/Associazione, sono un progetto di Accademia Drosselmeier e Libreria Lèggere Leggére.

Moderator
Chiara Basile, Junior Poetry Festival
Panel

Ilaria Rigoli, poetessa; Jim Stoten, illustratore; Alessandra Valtieri, traduttrice; Francesca Zucchi, grafica.

 

Organized by

Junior Poetry Associazione Culturale

Event Highlights
Illustrators Café
Awards & Contests

A talk with Paloma Valdivia. Winner of the 2023 BIB Grand Prix and Author of 2024 Illustrators Annual Cover

Services Centre
Illustrators Café

BCBF hosts every other year the winners of two prestigious children's book awards in the arts, the BIB - Biennial of Illustration Bratislava and the Hans Christian Andersen Award, to create the Illustrators Annual cover: the catalogue collecting all the works of the artists selected for the Illustrators Exhibition. The 2024 Illustrators Annual cover has been created by Paloma Valdivia, Chile, winner of the 2023 BIB Grand Prix.

Panel

Paloma Valdivia, illustrator, Chile; Marcella Terrusi, Professor, University of Bologna.

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

Authors Café
Comics

New comics from Southeast Asia: An Emerging Market

HALL 30
Authors Café

There is a lot of talk these days about manga and webtoons, but the Asian comics scene is much larger and more diverse than that. To shed some light on an often overlooked geographic area, four publishers specializing in comics from Singapore and the Philippines talk about their countries' original comics production, and the challenges and opportunities it offers the Western market.

Panel

Ani Rosa Almario, Vice President, Adarna House, Philippines; Felicia Low-Jimenez, publisher and Co-founder, Difference Engine, Singapore; Nida Ramirez, publisher, 19th Avenida Publishing House, Philippines; Priti Sharma, managing editor Epigram Books, Singapore.

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In cooperation with

Hamelin

In the framework of

Comics Corner

Talks & Presentations

La Storia: un racconto appassionante nei romanzi per ragazzi

Sala Suite
Services Centre - Wing D
Moderator
Matteo BIAGI
Panel

Davide Morosinotto; Marta Palazzesi.

Organized by

Editrice Il Castoro

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Licensing Portfolio Review - TOY: Enrico Emiliani (MS Edizioni)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Licensing Portfolio Area

 Event upon reservation only

Organized by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids

Translators Café
Artificial Intelligence

New Technologies, Creativity and Ethical Issues: Copyright Challenges in the Age of AI

HALL 30
Translators Café
Moderator
Simona Mambrini, BCB
Panel

Silvia Bernardini, Università di Bologna; Giorgio Franceschelli, Università di Bologna; Federico Garcea, Università di Bologna; Francesca Lagioia, Università di Bologna; Claudia Lecci, Università di Bologna; Francesca Novajra, CEATL.

 

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Maria Russo (Union Square Kids)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Victoria Tentler-Krylov

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

Audio Forum: Strategies for Effective Distribution and Monetisation

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre
Panel

Tina Jürgens, Co-CEO, Zebralution.

Organized by

BBPlus

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

Audio Forum: From Digital to Physical, Global Opportunities for Children's Publishers with Audio Players

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre
Panel

Carla Herbertson, Founder, Small Wardour; Eloise Elandaloussi, Head of Content, Tonies; Jessica Tarrant, Content Director, Yoto; Matteo Fabbrini, CEO, FABA; Jim Jacob, Founder, Storybutton.

Organized by

BBPlus

Event Highlights
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Border Crossings: Children's Books in a Time of Restless Change - Masterclass with Claudia Zoe Bedrick and Leonard Marcus

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Masterclass Area

Claudia Bedrick and Leonard Marcus discuss such defining current trends as the blending of genres and age categories, impact of globalization, and factors affecting a book's chances of "travelling".

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

Panel

Leonard Marcus, children's book historian, critic and author; Claudia Zoe Bedrick, publisher, Enchanted Lion Books.

International Bookshop

Book Signing with Andrea Antinori

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
International Bookshop
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Antonella Carnicelli (Terre di Mezzo Editore)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Talks & Presentations

Presentazione del Master: Creazione di un Albo Illustrato, diventa autore e illustratore professionista

Sala Intermezzo
Costituzione Entrance
Panel

Evelyn Daviddi; Elisa (Eliselle) Guidelli.

Organized by

Scuola Internazionale di Comics - sede di Reggio Emilia

Event Highlights
Book Lovers' Café

ABC delle figure nei libri per ragazzi

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
Book Lovers' Café

Una storia dell'illustrazione che dagli anni 60 del secolo scorso arriva a noi attraverso libri illustrati di qualità. Paola Vassalli costruisce un abbecedario prezioso che si apre con Alice e si chiude con La Zanzara senza zeta di Toti Scialoja. Nel libro vengono citati autori come Innocenti, Mattotti, Munari, Sendak.

Moderator
Silvana Sola, Docente, ISIA Urbino
Panel

Lorenzo Cantatore, Docente, Università Roma Tre; Marcella Terrusi, Docente, Università di Bologna; Paola Vassalli, autrice.

 

Organized by

 Donzelli Editore

Talks & Presentations

"Stereotipidigenere.eu": smontiamoli in classe

Sala Vivace
Services Centre - Wing D
Moderator
Federico Micali
Panel

Serena Mannelli, Docente e curatrice, stereotipidigenere.eu; Federico Micali, regista e curatore, stereotipidigenere.eu; Gio Ciardulli, Creative Director, DNArt.

Organized by

Settenove

In cooperation with

DNArt

Under the auspices of

Commissione Europea - Programma Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

Audio Forum: Understanding Listener Behaviours via Data

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre
Panel

Giulia Lo Monaco, Product Manager, Audio Bookwire.

Organized by

BBPlus

Authors Café

Creative Trends of Chinese Original Picture Books in the International Perspective

HALL 30
Authors Café

Chinese original picture books have shown strong creative vitality and international influence in recent years. Chinese stories, culture, aesthetics and other elements provide a wealth of material and inspiration for picture book creation. This event will invite organizers and judges of internationally renowned children’s book awards, as well as Chinese creators, to share their observations and insights on Chinese picture book creation in the process of awarding and creating, analyze the characteristics and styles of Chinese original picture books, and provide ideas on how to create picture books with a more global perspective.

Panel

Cao WenXuan, chinese writer, Professor, Peking University, winner of International Hans Christian Andersen Prize; Anna Castagnoli, author, illustrator, researcher and collector of books for children, Italy; Chen Hui, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor, Institute of Modern and Contemporary Chinese Literature, School of Chinese Language and Literature of Beijing Normal University; Tàssies, author and illustrator, Former Juror, Bologna Childrenʼs Book Fair, the Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava in Slovakia, the Mikhalkov Prize in Russia, and for the 2018, 2021 and 2022 Image of the Book International Contest; Yu Rong, illustrator, winner of 24th BIB Golden Apple Award.

Moderator: Zhang Mingzhou, Founder, Lifetree Cultural Promotion Centre, Former President, International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) (2018-2022), currently serving as a member of the Inclusive Publishing and Literacy Committee of the International Publishers Association (IPA), and Executive Director, Publishers Association of China.

Organized by

China National Publications Import and Export (Group)

In cooperation with

Lifetree Culture Promotion Centre  

Event Highlights
Illustrators Café

La Terre Tourne: a conversation with Anne Brouillard

Services Centre
Illustrators Café

After an incredible career and more than 40 illustrated books, Anne Brouillard finally arrives in Italy. A keen observer of nature and a master of impression and atmosphere, Brouillard questions the meaning of life itself, evoked by a train passing through a landscape, the nocturnal adventure of a puppet falling from its owner's stroller, or the life of a goofy, talking dog. In this panel, Brouillard talks about her art and her vision, which naturally leads her to confront childhood: because children, just like her, cannot help but wonder how and why we are here, on earth, spinning.

Panel

Anne Brouillard, author; Emilio Varrà, Hamelin.

Organized by

Hamelin

In cooperation with

Bologna Children's Book Fair, orecchio acerbo, Babalibri, l’École des loisirs, Esperluète éditions, WBI. In partnership with Gruppo Hera.

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Portfolio Review - Ayushi Saxena (Art1st)

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

The Illustrators Survival Corner
Comics

Portfolio Review - Vydavnytstvo Publishing House

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Portfolio Area

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

In the framework of

Comics Corner

The Illustrators Survival Corner

Storytelling through character design: Semiotics and Semantics - Workshop with Eric Telfort

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Workshop Area

Character Design is a branch of illustration that involves creating characters through the seamless integration of gesture, colour, form, and shape to convey relatable psychology. Character design serves as a creative extension of the human spirit, albeit within biased contexts determined by the community. Eric Telfort's research involves identifying historical patterns critical to understanding the design, purpose, and archetypal nature of characters. Telfort's work explores Carl Gustav Jung's theories on the human condition, including his four major archetypes, as well as the three major shapes used to translate and create resonant designs in contemporary media. For this masterclass, Telfort will delve deeply into semiotics and the art of communicating abstract ideas through universally accepted design language and aesthetics. The presentation will be a hybrid format, combining lecture and demonstration on ideation and the creation of compelling character designs.

Upon reservation only on Eventbrite.

Panel

Eric Telfort, Department Head and Associate Professor as illustrator, Rhode Island School of Design.

Talks & Presentations

Una vita con Maurice Sendak. Lynn Caponera e Sergio Ruzzier in conversazione

Sala Allegretto
Services Centre - Wing C
Panel

Lynn Caponera e Sergio Ruzzier

Organized by

Adelphi

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

Audio Forum: Voices from the Diaspora

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre
Panel

Nathan Hull, Chief Strategy Officer, Beat Technology; Ajay Mago, publisher, Om Books; Raúl Perez, Head of Digital, Grupo Planeta; Liza Faja, Director, Editions Lizzie.

Organized by

BBPlus

Talks & Presentations

Andamento dell'editoria per ragazzi in un mercato che cambia

Sala Ouverture
Services Centre - Wing D
Moderator
Renato Salvetti
Panel

o Stefano Bordigoni: Direttore Generale Commerciale o Giuseppe Risetti: Marketing e Sviluppo Commerciale Editori o Renato Salvetti: Amministratore Delegato

Organized by

Messaggerie Libri

International Bookshop

Book Signing with Gui Tuzi

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
International Bookshop
Event Highlights
Slovenia Guest of Honour
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Making a Picturebook: 10 tips on how to handle the ups and downs of the process - Masterclass with Maja Kastelic

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Masterclass Area

Creating a picture book is a complex creative and practical process that can involve everything from enthusiasm to despair. Here are a few tips on how to navigate through the journey of making the book come true.

 

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.


 

Panel

Maja Kastelic, illustrator.

Organized by

Slovenian Book Agency

In cooperation with

Slovenian Illustration Center

In the framework of

Slovenia Guest of Honour

Talks & Presentations

Parliamo di... rifugiati e accoglienza

Sala Ronda
Services Centre - Wing C
Panel

Laura Bosio; Marina Speich; Elisa Bortone.

Organized by

Edizioni Usborne

Book Lovers' Café

Un numero magico: 517. L'adozione alternativa ai libri di testo per rinnovare la scuola primaria

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
Book Lovers' Café

Presentazione di una pubblicazione, sostenuta da Emme Promo Junior, diffusa tra gli insegnanti per sottolineare l'importanza dell'adozione alternativa al libro di testo e  per raccontare di una legge, che pochissimi conoscono, che offre la possibilità di costruire percorsi educativi con il supporto di libri selezionati, immaginati nelle mani di bambini diversi. Libri che rimarranno nella scuola contribuendo alla costruzione di biblioteche scolastiche.

Panel

 Marta Marchi, IBBY scuola; Camilla Rossi, Emme Promo Junior

Organized by

 Accademia Drosselmeier, IBBY Scuola, Emme Promo Junior

Event Highlights
Illustrators Café

Estonia Guest of Honour Country at BCBF 2025

Services Centre
Illustrators Café
Panel

Elena Pasoli, Director, Bologna Children's Book Fair; Triin Soone, Director, Estonia Children's Literature Centre; Asta Trummel, Adviser on Literature, Ministry of Culture; Kaidi Urmet, Managing Director, Estonian Publishers Association.

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair, Estonian Publishers Association, Estonian Children's Literature Centre

Authors Café

New Creative and Imaginary Evolutions in Japanese Picture Books

HALL 30
Authors Café

Through a presentation of picture books created by artists among those now considered as the most interesting, Yukiko Hiromatsu, critic and author, will give an analysis on the characteristics of recent picture books in Japan seen in the use of creative techniques, format, printing and ways to use imagination.

Panel

Yukiko Hiromatsu, picture book critic, author.

Organized by

JBBY, Japan Foundation

Thursday 11 April 2024

Authors Café

Inbook: creatività, inclusione, sostenibilità

HALL 30
Authors Café
Organized by

Matti da Rilegare

Book Lovers' Café

Erich Kästner: da 125 anni dalla parte dei bambini

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
Book Lovers' Café

Dopo La conferenza degli animali, due grandi classici di Erich Kästner, Emil e i detective e La doppia Charlotte, si trasformano in un audiolibro, un unico e duplice album con le illustrazioni di Walter Trier. Il grande autore tedesco è pronto ad arrivare alle orecchie attente di piccoli e grandi lettori!

Panel

Tanja Fior, editrice e curatrice artistica, Locomoctavia Audiolibri; Daniele Fior, attore e regista.

Organized by

Locomoctavia Audioibri

Illustrators Café

Un concerto a scuola, una app in biblioteca, un cartone animato per un festival?

Services Centre
Illustrators Café

I linguaggi della creazione danno forma al Centenario del maestro Alberto Manzi. Vieni a scoprirli e crea il tuo progetto.

Moderator
Alessandra Falconi, Responsabile Centro Alberto Manzi
Panel

Alberto Baioni, cartoon maker; Alessia Canducci, attrice; Garilli Sound Project; Luca Nardone, percussionista e maestro; Gianni Zauli, cartoon maker.

Organized by

Centro Alberto Manzi

Authors Café

20 anni di... Kamishibai

HALL 30
Authors Café

Il kamishibai è un originale ed efficace strumento per l'animazione alla lettura: una valigetta in legno nella quale vengono inserite delle tavole illustrate. Lo spettatore vede l’immagine, mentre il narratore legge la storia.

Panel

Mauro Speraggi, editore, Edizioni Artebambini; Paola Ciarcià, editrice, Edizioni Artebambini.

Organized by

Edizioni Artebambini

In cooperation with

AKI - Associazione Kamishibai Italia

Event Highlights
Translators Café
Slovenia Guest of Honour
Awards & Contests

Workshop: "In Altre Parole" translation competition (Slovenian language)

HALL 30
Translators Café
Panel

Martina Kafol and Patrizia Raveggi, Jurors.

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In the framework of

Slovenia Guest of Honour

Book Lovers' Café

Per piacere parliamo di educazione sessuale

Gallery Hall 25 - 26
Book Lovers' Café

Trovare le parole per parlare in maniera efficace di sessualità, consenso e affettività non è facile, ma è molto importante. Partire dal piacere può essere un modo nuovo e interessante.

Panel

Juls Crivèller, illustratrice; Chiara Gregori, ginecologa, sessuologa e autrice; Federico Zaghis, CEO, Becco Giallo.

Organized by

Becco Giallo

Illustrators Café

Premio LiBeR 2023. Premiazione di Nicola Cinquetti con il libro L'estate balena e di Lisa Balavoine con il libro Un ragazzo è quasi niente

Services Centre
Illustrators Café

Nicola Cinquetti con il libro L'estate balena (Bompiani) e Lisa Balavoine con il libro Un ragazzo è quasi niente (Terre di Mezzo Editore) sono i vincitori del Premio LiBeR per il miglior libro 2023 secondo il sondaggio annuale degli esperti che collaborano con la rivista.

Panel

Ilaria Tagliaferri, Direttrice, rivista LiBeR; Nicola Cinquetti, scrittore; Nicoletta Gramantieri, responsabile, Biblioteca Salaborsa Ragazzi, Bologna; Lisa Balavoine, scrittrice; Gabriela Zucchini, Equilibri Cooperativa Sociale, Modena; Ufficio Stampa, Bompiani Editore; Ufficio Stampa, Terre di Mezzo Editore.

Organized by

LiBeR

In cooperation with

Bompiani, Terre di Mezzo Editore

Event Highlights
Slovenia Guest of Honour

Guided Tour of "And then what happens?" - GoH Illustrator's Exhibition

-
Services Center
Organized by

Slovenia Guest of Honour

Event Highlights
Translators Café
Slovenia Guest of Honour
Awards & Contests

Translation competition "In Altre Parole": prize-giving ceremony

HALL 30
Translators Café
Panel

Martina Kafol and Patrizia Raveggi, Jurors.

Organized by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In the framework of

Slovenia Guest of Honour

Translators Café

Japanese picture book translation dōjō or Workshop, second edition

HALL 30
Translators Café

This year we will tackle six titles, two of which are on show at the JBBY/Japan Foundation stand (H29 C-16). At the end of the workshop there will be a bilingual read-aloud performance. Participation requirements: level N 4 and up. Publishers and editors are also invited to attend and/or take part. Sign up and text viewing: JBBY reception desk at the Illustrators' Exhibition, Service Center

Panel

Ayami Moriizumi, JBBY; Elena Maria Tisi, University of Bologna.

Organized by

JBBY, Japan Foundation