The Frankfurter Buchmesse is the world's most important generalist book fair, which is even more significant for BCBF in this edition due to the presence of ‘Italy Guest of Honour’ 2024: an event in which Bologna will also take part through the organisation of
"From illustration to comics. Pencils in talented young hands", the only illustration exhibition in the Guest of Honour programme, dedicated to young talents in contemporary Italian illustration, which will be set up in the Italian Pavilion.
Curated by Accademia Drosselmeier and Giannino Stoppani Cooperativa Sociale, and organised by BolognaFiere/Bologna Children’s Book Fair/BolognaBookPlus with the collaboration of AIE, the exhibition aims to offer the world’s publishers gathered at the Buchmesse a window onto contemporary Italian illustration. The works of thirty young talents will feature in a showcase of a genuinely excellent artistic scene. The exhibition will be accompanied by a bilingual magazine/catalogue, a collection of texts, reflections and interviews with the illustrators, in addition to a conversation between Ivan Canu – one of the curators of the selection – and Lorenzo Mattotti (the artist who created the poster for Italy Guest of Honour) that will be distributed free of charge to the public in Frankfurt. The exhibition will be presented on 16 October at 1.30 pm in a meeting at the Literary Café, and on 16 and 17 October visitors will be able to take part in guided tours with the exhibition curators.
Other scheduled initiatives include the exhibition "Ibby Italia 2024. A Selection of Italian Books", a showcase of 65 children’s books chosen by the Italian section of IBBY - International Board on Books for Young People, featuring some of the best works published in Italy in the last two years (2023/24). The exhibition will also feature a special section on “Books about books: a category conceived, on the occasion of Italy Guest of Honour, for those interested in studying and promoting children’s literature. The exhibition, an important opportunity to raise the profile of Italian production for children and young people on the Frankfurt stage, will be hosted at the BCBF stand. Guided tours by experts in the sector will be available for visitors.