BolognaRagazzi Awards

The BCBF BolognaRagazzi Awards - BRAW - are an international showcase for the world’s finest, most innovative picturebooks.

Adjudicated by international juries made up of experts from the publishing world, the Awards acknowledge excellence of graphic design, innovation and ability to engage with young readers.

Some of the most sought-after awards in children’s publishing, the BRAW are also a great business opportunity for the winners. An award or special mention help drive copyright sales on the international market, focusing world attention on the publishers, authors and illustrators involved. Visibility is also sustained by BCBF’s far-reaching promotion not only of the contest and winners during the Fair and online but also of a broad selection of the best 100 titles, with a special exhibition entitled “The BRAW Amazing Bookshelf” during the Fair.

The BRAW comprise five main categories: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Opera Prima (debut works by authors and illustrators), Comics (comic books and graphic novels), and Toddler (BCBF’s new permanent category). Juries may also assign a special New Horizons award to a particularly innovative work. In addition, each year, one or more Special Award categories are created alongside the main sections.

The 2024 Special BolognaRagazzi Awards category is dedicated to “The Sea”.

As is the longstanding tradition, all the winning books will be added to the Bologna Children’s Book Fair Collection dating back to 1966 and held by Bologna’s Salaborsa Children’s Library.


2024 Special Category: THE SEA

As a partner in the preparation of the 39th International IBBY Congress – to be held in Trieste in September 2024 - Bologna Children’s Book Fair has chosen The Sea for its Special BRAW Category. It links in with Trieste, a city on the Adriatic Sea, where the Congress will be held. 

Throughout the ages, the sea has been one of the most recurring images in literature for young readers, representing many different themes: the natural environment and its inhabitants, the vastness of timeless adventure, issues related to climate change and plastic pollution, as well as social and political aspects, borders and migrations. 

Publishers are invited to enter sea-themed books released in the last six years. 

THE BRAW AMAZING BOOKSHELF

Since 2022, BCBF has turned a spotlight on the BolognaRagazzi Award finalist books. 
 
Every year, the international jury has the difficult task of choosing a shortlist of winners and mentions from hundreds of beautiful titles from all over the world. 

The BRAW Amazing Bookshelf will showcase, besides the winners and mentions, one hundred outstanding picture books, selected among the BRAW finalists in each category. In 2024 too this showcase will provide a valuable opportunity to unveil excellent works to the international publishing community. 

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