After the pause that transformed the traditional event in Bologna into a virtual space, the Bologna Children’s Book Fair went on a “Grand Tour” that took in the main book fairs all over the world, bringing the best of illustrations and new trends in publishing for children and young people to its fond community of professionals, before welcoming everyone back to Bologna for the 59th edition from 21 to 24 March 2022.
New content and innovative ideas were deployed for an edition of the Fair that saw a more extensive offer and a greater international dimension. Behind these developments is the determination that in the last two years has led to the creation of initiatives that have transported the contents of the Fair well beyond its traditional confines in space and time, opening up to the possibilities offered by the online world and developing new forms of interaction.
Travel is an integral part of BCBF’s DNA, which has always brought and shared its own experience with the global professional community. Ahead of the 2022 edition, eagerly looking forward to welcoming back attendees in-person at its forum for exchanging ideas and creativity from all over the world, BCBF has decided to embark on a new journey, which lead it to four prestigious international fairs. The Grand Tour is a project created in collaboration with ICE - the agency for internationalization and the promotion of Italian businesses abroad, thanks to which the Children’s Book Fair served as a foreign showcase for the best of Italian publishing for children and young people, bringing with it the activities and exhibitions produced in recent months.
The tour began at the Frankfurt Book Fair, from 20 to 24 October and continued to Sharjah International Book Fair (3-13 November 2021), Feria Internacional del Libro de Guadalajara (27 November - 5 December 2021) and the Salon du livre et de la presse jeunesse de Montreuil (1-6 December 2021).