Fifth stop: Guadalajara!

Feria Internacional del Libro de Guadalajara
29 November - 7 December 2025

Area Internacional - Stand HH7

BCBF has made waves at the Guadalajara Book Fair with a fantastic lineup of events!
At the BCBF stand visitors from all over the world and in particular from Latin America, where FIL is the largest publishing event, were able to find a selection of the best of recent Italian publishing at the exhibition Ibby Italia Choice 2025: Words, Images and Stories, the fourth selection of the best Italian releases for children and young adults, which includes titles published between June 2024 and July 2025, divided into the following categories: illustrated books, fiction, poetry, non-fiction, comics and graphic novels, as well as books for early childhood.

As is now tradition, BCBF also brought to the Mexican fair some of its most successful initiatives designed to unearth and develop new illustration talent: these include The Illustrators Survival Corner, the area created in collaboration with Mimaster Illustrazione that hosts portfolio reviews and workshops designed for emerging artists. And the new Bologna Portfolio Award, launched at the 2024 edition of FIL, aims to recognise the role of the portfolio as a key tool in the profession of the illustrator and to highlight its significance as a means of communication between illustrators and the main players in the publishing industry. The prize, which is open to those registered for the Corner’s portfolio reviews, will reward the winner with a trip to Bologna for the next edition of BCBF.

Thanks to the collaboration with FIL Guadalajara, this year BCBF’s involvement also extended to key initiatives at the Mexican fair: new for 2025 was the partnership with FILustra, an important space in which to exchange ideas, reflect and access professional development in the field of illustration, hosted at FIL and now in its twelfth edition. Through round tables, workshops and conferences, participants explored the processes, collaborations and languages that shape ever-evolving illustrated projects, highlighting the power of illustration to build narratives, create experiences and expand into new visual territories.

At FILustra, BCBF has collaborated with “From illustration to space” by bringing Valerio Vidali (illustrator, Italy) in conversation with Ca_teter (Jorge Mato, illustrator, Uruguay), Negrescolor (illustrator, Spain) and Mujer Gallina (author and illustrator, Chile), chaired by Maru Aguzzi (founder and director of Gran Salón México, Mexico), on the theme of how illustrated images come to life in urban, museum and performance spaces, transforming the public’s visual experience.

BCBF was also a part of the International Publishers and Professionals Forum, whose theme was “Children’s Literature Without Borders: Innovation, Inclusion and the Future”. As part of the programme, the director of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, Elena Pasoli, has opened the Forum alongside Armando Montes de Santiago (General Coordinator of Exhibitors and Professionals FIL, Mexico) and Carolina Ballester (IBBY Executive Director, France). Later that same day, Pasoli returned to the Salón de Profesionales as the chair of a discussion with Jacqueline Woodson (multi-awarded author, USA) “What if we don't talk about it? Censorship, Silences and Tensions in Children’s Literature”, a conversation that explores the tensions, silences and challenges that permeate literature for children and young readers. This double involvement confirmed BCBF’s role as an international reference point in the debate on the most pertinent and innovative issues in the sector.

Furthermore, BCBF took part in the event “From Manuscript to Readers: the Role of Literary Agents in Children’s and Young Adult Literature”, with Pablo de la Vega (Base tres, Mexico), Sergio Ruzzier (author, Italy) and Ivan Canu (author and illustrator, Italy), chaired by Vivian Lavín (journalist and literary agent, Chile).

Finally, the conversation “Artistic Creation and at-Risk Childhoods”: the panel explored how conflict and inequality influence artistic creation for children and young people. Speakers include: Dolores Prades (founder, director and editor of Instituto Emília, Brazil), Adolfo Córdova (author, Mexico), Negrescolor (author and illustrator, Spain), Sara Bertrand (author, Chile) and Amanda Mijango (author and illustrator, Mexico).