Chinese Excellence - the jury

Tan Fengxia is a Ph.D., Professor of children’s literature at the School of Literature, Nanjing Normal University. Her teaching and research areas are children’s and young adult literature, comparative children’s literature, picture books, children’s films, childhood studies, etc. She has focused on children’s literature study for 28 years. Her international academic experiences include post-doctoral research at University of Cambridge (UK), a fellow at the International Youth Library in Munich (Germany). She was a visiting scholar at Macquarie University (Australia) & Illinois State University (USA) and has given keynote speeches and presentations at international conferences of children’s literature in USA, Australia, European and Asian countries. Tan Fanxia’s research experiences include being the Vice President of the Chinese Children’s Literature Research Association, the Vice president of Chinese and Foreign Children’s Literature Research Societyand the Executive director of Research Center for Contemporary Youth Literature. She was awarded with many following prizes among which the Outstanding Teacher of Nanjing Normal University (2009); Provincial Outstanding Achievement Award in Philosophy and Social Science (2022); Zijin Mountain Literature Award for Children’s Creative Writing (2023).

She has also led a number of prestigious projects on children’s literature, and she is the author of many academic publications on children’s literature, of numerous reviews of children’s literature from China and other countries, including a large number of reviews of picture books.

Tan Fengxia is also an author of children’s novels, prose and picture books and an experienced translator. She served in the jury of various children’s literature awards among which the Hans Christian Andersen Award 2024 (IBBY), National Outstanding Children’s Literature Award in China, Chen Bochui International Children’s Literature Prize, Cao Wenxuan Children’s Literature Prize in China and the Feng Zikai Children’s Picture Book Award, Xin Yi Picture Book Award. 

Professor Li Jianping is the Dean of the School of Animation at the Beijing Film Academy, a PhD Supervisor, Deputy Director of the Animation and Digital Media Teaching Advisory Committee under the Ministry of Education, Secretary-General of the Animation Art Committee of the Chinese Artists Association and Vice President of the China Children's Film Association. He is also the President of the Beijing Film and of the Television Animation Association.
Among his representative works, he directed animated series such as “Stories of Traditional Chinese Virtues”, “The Dreaming Girl”, “Exploring the World of Chinese Idioms”, “Journey to the West”, “The Malan Flower”, “The Story of Chen Jiageng” and “Panda and Springbok” (a co-production between CCTV and South Africa); he was the Chief Director of the animated film “Salute to the Heroes” and the Chinese Director of the co-produced animated film “Dragon Keeper” between China Film Animation and Spain. 

Long Niannan is a Senior art teacher of the China National Children’s Center, an expert in children’s art education, and a painter. He has served as Deputy Director and Secretary General of the Children’s Art Committee at the China Artists Association, was an editorial board member of the National Compulsory Education textbook Art, the Chief Editor of the special education textbook Art, an author and host of children’s programs of Beijing Radio Station, and an Expert Consultant of CCTV children’s programs. 

Cathy Olmedillas is the founder/creative director of Studio Anorak, publishers of Happy Mags for Kids Anorak Magazine, DOT and the newly launched CHEW. In 2006, she launched the ground-breaking internationally acclaimed, Anorak, when she couldn't find a fun, educational and collectable magazine to read with her son. An advocate for creativity in childhood, she lectures at universities on the joys of illustrating for children and runs a talent and production agency dedicated to promoting young artists.  

Ao Ran is the Executive Vice Director of China Audio-video and Digital Publishing Association. He has been engaged in the publishing industry for more than 30 years, with experience in publishing, distribution and management. He has presided over major book publishing projects and digital publishing projects and won several national publishing awards. He has been the Vice President and President of Publishing House of Electronics Industry since 2001, General Manager of China Industry and Information Technology Publishing & Media Group in 2013, and General Manager of Children’s Fun Publishing Co., Ltd. from 2015 to 2019.

He has served as Vice President of China Redactological Society, Executive Director of The Publishers Association of China, Executive Director of Copyright Society of China, Executive Director of China Periodicals Association, adjunct professor of the School of Information Management Wuhan University and of the Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication, jury of several animation projects such as China Animation publishing project "Original Power" and the Folk Art Animation Publishing Excellence Project. 

Marcella Terrusi, PhD in Education, is a Researcher and Professor in the field of childhood culture, the history of children’s literature and international publishing for children. Her scientific interests turn to the formation of the imaginary in relation to topics such as fashion studies, outdoor education, the representation of body and sport, the right to reading and the global citizenship education. 

Scientific consultant for Bologna Children's Book Fair since 2005, she is in charge of public awarding ceremonies, BolognaRagazzi Awards juries and talks, and a curator of special exhibitions and projects concerning illustration.

She authored many scientific contributions and two monographs: one devoted to the art, history and definition of the picture book in 2012; and the first international critic inquiry about wordless books in 2017, both published by Carocci, Rome. 

Her monograph Silent wonder. Wordless books and Children’s Literature was translated and published into Arabic by Kalimat Publishing, United Arab Emirates in 2018 and in Chinese language by Locus Publishing, Taiwan in 2024.

She serviced as a jury member for BiB Biennal of Bratislava, Premio Strega Ragazze e Ragazzi and, in 2024, for Chinese Excellence in Children's Illustration.

Mireia Trius co-founded Zahorí Books in 2007, after previously owning an art gallery in Barcelona. Her passion for art and illustration, together with her interest in knowledge books, have made Zahorí Books a benchmark in the field of non-fiction children's books.

Zahorí specialises in highly illustrated books, working with illustrators from around the world to create a diverse catalogue covering topics such as nature, history, environment, social issues, animals and scientific matters. With a keen interest in contemporary editorial design, Mireia always seeks originality both in the topics and in innovative ways of presenting them, bringing unique perspectives to each of her projects.