BCBF hosts an annual Guest of Honour country, showcasing the best of illustration and children’s books from the region, at the world’s leading trade fair in the children’s publishing realm.
The 2025 Guest of HonourCountry is Estonia, the small nation on the Baltic Sea that boasts a lively and dynamic publishing market producing high quality content across various genres. The publishing industry plays a significant role in preserving Estonian culture, language and national identity, and sees Bologna Children’s Book Fair as an important opportunity to boost its visibility and access to international markets. Estonia is also at the centre of the Market of Honour at BolognaBookPlus, and the Talking Pictures competition dedicated to the design of visual books.
With the theme “Hello!/Tere!”, Estonia’s programme at Bologna 2025 will showcase its most celebrated authors, illustrators, and publishers, alongside a dynamic series of book and illustration exhibitions, discussions, and industry networking events. Estonia will present a curated selection of its best contemporary and classic children’s books, offering international publishers a unique opportunity to explore new voices and stories.
Key Highlights of Estonia – Guest of Honour programme at BCBF 2025:
Estonian Illustration Exhibition “Hello!/Tere!”: Featuring 40 artists, it will focus on Estonian children’s literature illustrations and books. The exhibition was curated by the Estonian Children’s Literature Centre team.
Estonian Stand: A vibrant showcase of Estonian children’s literature, featuring award-winning authors and illustrators.
Author and Illustrator Events: Ten panel discussions on various intriguing topics, meetings with the authors, the Bologna BookPlus programme, and an illustrator masterclass.
Special Programme in the City of Bologna: The “Cittadini Creativi” exhibition was curated by Bianka Soe and will showcase Estonian illustrators’ works in Bologna’s Sala d’Ercole at Palazzo d’Accursio. An Estonian children’s literature programme will be also featured as part of the Boom! Growing Up in Books festival.
Estonia’s participation at Bologna 2025 is coordinated by the Estonian Children’s Literature Centre, the Estonian Publishers’ Association,and the EstonianMinistry of Culture in collaboration with key publishing and cultural partners.
GALLERIES
GLOBAL RIGHTS EXCHANGE
FAIRTALES