2024 Event Programme

Discover our wide-ranging programme of 2024 events: award ceremonies, international conferences, talks, masterclasses, presentations, meetings and conferences. 

Sunday 07 April 2024

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

How to Sell Rights and Understand Licensing in Children's Books

Sala Concerto
Services Centre - Wing D

Pre-registration required on BBPlus website.

How to participate.

Organized by

BBPlus

Monday 08 April 2024

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

Self-Publishing Day One: A Focus on your writing

Sala Concerto
Services Centre - Wing D

Pre-registration required on BBPlus website.

How to participate.

Organized by

BBPlus

In cooperation with

Argentovivo

Event Highlights
Illustrators Café
BolognaBookPlus
Slovenia Guest of Honour
Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kids

Opening ceremony of Bologna Children’s Book Fair, BolognaBookPlus, Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids, Slovenia Guest of Honour

Services Centre
Illustrators Café
BolognaBookPlus
Aldus Up
Artificial Intelligence

Do Androids Dream of Great Alternative Descriptions for Images?

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre

A crucial component of accessibility is providing reliable alternative descriptions for images. However, crafting alternative descriptions for images stands out as a particularly challenging task for publishers, due to the need for specialised knowledge and the amount of time to ensure accuracy. This is especially pronounced when attempting to make backlist titles accessible, as they were not originally designed with accessibility in mind. Fondazione LIA will explore the world in which AI meets the alternative description of images with insights from professionals in the field, exposing both the possibilities through a showcase of the options available and the concrete applications already adopted by the industry.

Moderator
Elisa Molinari, Project Manager, Fondazione LIA
Panel

Gautier Chomel, Project Manager, EDRLab; Gregorio Pellegrino, Chief Accessibility Officer, Fondazione LIA; Paolo Casarini, CTO / IT Director, Società Editrice il Mulino.

Organized by

BBPlus

In cooperation with

Fondazione LIA

In the framework of

Aldus Up, ABELab

BolognaBookPlus

LuProcesso: the Fairy Tale Winner of the Andersen Prize - Baia delle Favole 2022

HALL 29 MALL 1
AIE Italian Collective Stand, BBPlus

The fairy tale wolf as you've never seen it before. The truth doesn't always match what we've been told... The wolf of fairy tales, tired of being portrayed as the villain, calls upon the most famous authors from Esopo to Disney, from the Brothers Grimm to Andersen, to stand trial. Unexpectedly, as witnesses in favor of the wolf, the protagonists of the great classics of children's literature present themselves: Little Red Riding Hood, the mother of the seven kids, the three little pigs, and many others. Who will win the trial? A new way to reinterpret fairy tales in a modern key and to learn something more about authors of all times

Panel

Ginevra Van Deflor, author; Gabriella De Paoli, Edizioni Astragalo; Giorgio Sommacal, illustrator.

Organized by

Edizioni Astragalo

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus
Aldus Up

The Italian General Book Market 2023, with a Focus on the Children's Book Market: Destination Frankfurt

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre

A presentation of the latest available data of the Italian publishing market to foreign operators: sales, titles published, translation rights sold. Followed by an insight on the children’s book market, its growth despite the demographic crisis, the differences among age groups, the role of internationalisation.

Panel

Bruno Giancarli, Research Department, AIE - Associazione Italiana Editori.

Organized by

BBPlus

In cooperation with

AIE - Associazione Italiana Editori

With the support of

ITA-Italian Trade Agency and MAECI-Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

In the framework of

Aldus Up

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

India in the Limelight Opening Ceremony: Painting a Picture for a Bright Future for Indian Publishing

HALL 29 MALL 1, A7
India Stand, BBPLUS
Panel

Yuvraj Malik, Director, National Book Trust, India; Jacks Thomas, Guest Director, BolognaBookPlus.

Organized by

BBPlus

In cooperation with

National Book Trust India

BolognaBookPlus
Aldus Up
Artificial Intelligence

Gen Z, AI, and the Search for New Purpose in Publishing and Beyond

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre

The advent of AI and rise of Generation Z are catalyzing sweeping changes in the publishing industry and society more broadly. As AI enables automation that doubles economic efficiencies, it raises profound questions about how to allocate newly freed-up human time and attention. Simultaneously, Gen Z's penchant for questioning established norms is accelerated by AI's instant access to collective knowledge. Literature stands to be reinvigorated as young influencers use AI to enable bold new writing that reexamines fundamental assumptions about how the world operates. The result could be a publishing renaissance built on innovative ideas and original expression. This session will explore how the interplay between AI and Gen Z thinking is shaping everything from publishing houses to educational institutions to democratic governance. Beyond transforming the printed page, these forces promise to redefine learning, literature, and the very purpose of human endeavor. Nadim will look at both the opportunities and ethical challenges presented by AI's broad influence spanning publishing, education, and democracy.

Panel

Nadim Sadek, CEO, Shimmr AI.

Organized by

BBPlus

In the framework of

Aldus Up

BolognaBookPlus

English Language Exports: a Threat and an Opportunity. Is Italy Next?

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre

Andre Breedt, Nielsen Book will present data about English language book sales in European markets, as well as highlighting global trends that translate, and those that don't.

Panel

Andre Breedt, Managing Director, Nielsen Book; Enrico Turrin, Deputy Director, FEP - Federation of European Publishers.

Organized by

BBPlus

BolognaBookPlus

Hoepli: A Non-fiction Publisher in the New Millennium

HALL 29 MALL 1
AIE Italian Collective Stand, BBPlus

A short history of Hoepli as a publisher and bookseller in Milan with a specific focus on the post-Covid years and the new challenges.

Panel

Elisa Dicecca, Rights Office, Hoepli; Marco Sbrozi, Editorial Director, Hoepli.

Organized by

Hoepli

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus
The Illustrators Survival Corner
Awards & Contests

Talking Pictures: Ukraine's Contemporary Visual Book Production - Masterclass

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Workshop Area

Talking Pictures, a project curated by Steven Guarnaccia and Hamelin, investigates the best international visual book production, seeking innovation in illustration and publishing, and promoting alla forms of experimentation in picture books. For BolognaBookPlus, Talking Pictures focuses on the Ukrainian visual book scene. Ukraine has a very important and still too little-known tradition in the field of printmaking, illustration and design. Its visual books production is of the highest quality, and now seems like the right time to showcase it. This masterclass explores this production, highlighting both its historical perspectives and new trends in the contemporary market.

 

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

 

Panel

Anna Ivanenko, Yevheniia Polosina, Studio Serigraph; Andriy Lesiv, Romana Romanyshyn, Art Studio Agrafka.

Organized by

BolognaBookPlus

In cooperation with

Hamelin, Steven Guarnaccia, International Book Arsenal Festival Kyiv

BolognaBookPlus

Accessibility QA for Ebooks: Are Automatic Tools Enough?

HALL 29 MALL 1
AIE Italian Collective Stand, BBPlus

Starting from June 2025, the European Accessibility Act will require all products and services on the European market to meet accessibility requirements. In this presentation, Fondazione LIA will showcase its services to support your company in its journey to comply with the accessibility standards.

Organized by

Fondazione LIA

BolognaBookPlus

How to Build a D2C Community One Step at a Time

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre
Panel

Sarah Arbuthnot, Supadu.

Organized by

BBPlus

BolognaBookPlus

Dialoghi junior: la Bussola Letteraria per orientarsi in libreria

HALL 29 MALL 1
AIE Italian Collective Stand, BBPlus
Panel

Camilla Rossi, Marketing and Comunicazione, Emme Promozione; Paola Mambelli, Sviluppo Editori e Grandi Clienti, Emme Promozione.

Organized by

Emme Promozione

BolognaBookPlus

Supporting a Trinity of Freedoms: to Express; to Publish; to Read

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre

The pressures on who can say what, who can read what, or what is acceptable to be published are increasing around the world. Organisations representing the international book sector have come together to demonstrate the intrinsically linked freedoms at the heart of the book sector: the freedom of expression, the freedom to publish, and the freedom to read. This session will look at the pressures authors, booksellers, librarians and publishers face and what the sector can do to ensure these freedoms are enjoyed by everyone. 

Panel

Kristenn Einarsson, Chair, IPA Freedom to Publish Committee; Enrica Manenti, Librarian, Modena; Barbara Hoepli, Vice President Hoepli, Publishing House and Bookshop, Milan; Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief, Publishing Perspectives.

Organized by

BBPlus

In cooperation with

IPA - International Publishers Association

BolognaBookPlus

5.3 Billion Readers: the Invisible Global Digital Opportunity

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre

In 2024 there are 8.1 billion people on the planet and 5.3 billion of them are online, using a device that could be used to read/listen to digitally-published content, yet many publishers are still partying like its 1999. Or 2010. In 2010 then were just 53 million internet users across the whole of Africa. Today there are over 600 million, and the continent is still only at 44% internet penetration. By comparison, the USA has just 312 million people online. The European Union has only 398 million internet users. In Asia, Indonesia has 212 million people online, Bangladesh 130 million, Pakistan 101 million, and India 8333 million.

Panel

Giacomo D'Angelo, publisher, TNPS and CEO, StreetLib.

Organized by

BBPlus

Tuesday 09 April 2024

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

Self-Publishing Day Two

Sala Concerto
Services Centre - Wing D

Pre-registration required on BBPlus website.

How to participate.

Organized by

BBPlus

In cooperation with

Argentovivo

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

Call your Agent: how to Become a Successful Literary Agent

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre

Pre-registration required on BBPlus website.

How to participate.

Organized by

BBPlus

BolognaBookPlus
Aldus Up

Tales of EUkraine: Intermediate Results

HALL 29 MALL 1
AIE Italian Collective Stand, BBPlus

 Tales of EUkraine (TEUk) is a European project co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union. TEUk is an opportunity for European publishers to support their Ukrainian counterparts and to display their solidarity to the most vulnerable victims of the conflict by doing what they do best: publishing books. TEUk has built a catalogue of Ukrainian children’s books available for publishers to acquire the rights to and publish them in bilingual editions. The project partners will purchase the part of the print run to be distributed to displaced children and organise its distribution to the Ukrainian refugee communities, whilst publishers will be invited to promote the book to their national communities. As the project approaches its halfway point, the consortium will present the results achieved so far – with tens of thousands of bilingual children’s books already published and distributed in several European countries and many more to come.

Panel

Olena Odynoka, Head of the International Cooperation Department, The Ukrainian Book Institute; Enrico Turrin, Deputy Director, Federation of European Publishers.

Organized by

The Ukranian Book Institute

BolognaBookPlus
Aldus Up
Artificial Intelligence

In the AI of the Beholder: how to see the Human Reading Behind the AI

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre

The possibilities and perils of Generative AI have dramatically shaken every industry this year including the publishing world. We need to bring a human centred approach to design the use of technology ethically and responsibly for our readers. From AI, AR/VR, AirPods and Amazon Kindle to Nintendo Wii, Whatsapp, Microsoft Zoom all A to Z technologies are rapidly changing the way readers create, curate, share and read. These new technologies have both enhancing and damaging influences on readers. Based on disciplines such as human centred design and behaviour economics, we can design AI technology that can make reading useful, usable, beautiful, joyful, sustainable and responsible for every single reader around the world. This session draws attention to the human holding the AI, not just AI itself, opening up new opportunities for the publishing world to help change the world for the better

Panel

Priya Sathiyam, Design Director, Fractal.

Organized by

BBPlus

In the framework of

Aldus Up

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

Author Ambassador Neil Packer In Conversation with Ed Nawotka

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre

2024 BolognaBookPlus Author Ambassador, Neil Packer in Conversation with Ed Nawotka, Publishers Weekly.

Panel

Neil Packer, author; Ed Nawotka, Publishers Weekly.

Organized by

BBPlus

BolognaBookPlus

Colori e Parole

HALL 29 MALL 1
AIE Italian Collective Stand, BBPlus

Quando il testo e le immagini si fondono in una storia: le difficoltà e le gioie dietro al processo creativo.

Panel

Viviana Sgorbini, editrice, Tomolo EdiGiò; Stefania Gualerzi, illustratrice.

Organized by

Tomolo EdiGiò

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus
Awards & Contests

Talking Pictures. The New Award for Ukranian Book Design: the Winner and Special Mentions

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre
Organized by

BBPlus

In cooperation with

Hamelin, Steven Guarnaccia, International Book Arsenal Festival Kyiv

BolognaBookPlus

Are you ready for the European Accessibility Act?

HALL 29 MALL 1
AIE Italian Collective Stand, BBPlus

Starting from June 2025, the European Accessibility Act will require all products and services on the European market to meet accessibility requirements. In this presentation, Fondazione LIA will showcase its services to support your company in its journey to comply with the accessibility standards.

Organized by

Fondazione LIA

BolognaBookPlus
Aldus Up
Artificial Intelligence

Unlocking AI, VR, AR in Publishing: tools for Authoring and Digital Content

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre

The dynamic intersection of AI, VR, and AR in publishing is a fact. Innovative authoring tools and cutting-edge solutions are changing the digital content creation and distribution. How can these technologies and tools really empower authors in crafting immersive experience able to engage audiences like never before? How can the publisher unlock the potential of AI-driven creativity and redefine the future of publishing and storytelling? Enjoy our presentation to talk about this incoming publishing revolution.

Panel

Sam Habibi Minelli, GruppoMeta; Giorgio Genta, Vice President, ETT Group. 

Organized by

BBPlus

In the framework of

Aldus Up

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

Storytelling, characters and illustrations: Italian children's publishing abroad. Destination Frankfurt

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre
Panel

Katharina Ebinger, Thienemann-Esslinger Verlag GmbH; Rex How, Founder and President, Locus Publishing; Carlo Gallucci, Founder, Gallucci Editore and coordinator of AIE - Commissione Ragazzi; Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief,  Publishing Perspectives.

Organized by

Italy Guest of Honour Frankfurter Buchmesse 2024, AIE - Italian Publishers Association, Bologna Children’s Book Fair

Wednesday 10 April 2024

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

Translation Forum 1. Books From Taiwan: Discover and Translate

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre

Taiwan is home to a wealth of literature waiting to be discovered. Covering a range of genres from fiction to manga to children’s books, Taiwan agents and publishers are the gateway to undiscovered and yet to be translated books. With a generous translation grant available for rights buying publishers, this session will highlight how to engage with Taiwan and where to look for its hidden gems.

Panel

Catrina Liu, Project Manager, Books from Taiwan; Shin Su, MD, Bk Agency; Kim Pai, Founder, The PaiSha Agency; Daniel Hahn, author and translator.

Organized by

BBPlus

In cooperation with

Taiwan Creative Content Agency

BolognaBookPlus
The Illustrators Survival Corner
Awards & Contests

Indie Authors Book Jacket Award: Winner and Special Mentions

HALL 30
The Illustrators Survival Corner

Find out more about The Illustrators Survival Corner.

Organized by

Bologna Book Plus

BolognaBookPlus
Aldus Up

Translation Forum 2. Marketing and Promotion of Books in Translation: Who, How and Why?

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre

 In various book markets worldwide, a significant portion of the literature available is comprised of translations from foreign languages into the native language. Publishers and booksellers face the task of effectively marketing and selling these translated books to the general public. One key question arises: do marketing and promotion techniques differ for translated literature? Additionally, what challenges and opportunities do publishers and booksellers encounter in the sale of translated books? Moreover, how does the author and translator contribute to the marketing process when their book is available in multiple languages? Lastly, the panel will provide practical steps and advice for creating a successful campaign for translated literature.

Panel

Merve Yavuzdemir, TEDA Translation Grant Project; Katharina Bielenberg;  Tamer Said, Director, SILA - Sharjah International Literary Agency; Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief, Publishing Perspectives.

Organized by

BBPlus

In the framework of

Aldus Up

BolognaBookPlus

Mille voci fuori dal coro

HALL 29 MALL 1
AIE Italian Collective Stand, BBPlus

Uomini e donne, indimenticabili della Letteratura, raccontano un momento che ha segnato la loro vita... Un esperimento che ogni lettore può fare.

Panel

Viviana Sgorbini, Editrice, Tomolo EdiGio'; Silvia Dotti, autrice e illustratrice; Lorenzo Di Salvio (Dissy), autore e illustratore.

Organized by

Tomolo EdiGio'

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus
Aldus Up

European Union Prize for Literature: announcement and networking drinks

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre

 The European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL), supported by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, is an annual initiative to recognise the best emerging fiction writers in Europe. The Prize aims to put the spotlight on the creativity and diverse wealth of Europe’s contemporary literature in the field of fiction, to promote the circulation of literature within Europe and to encourage greater interest in non-national literary works. The EUPL is organised by the Federation of European Publishers and the European and International Booksellers Federation. During the networking event, the laureates of the 2024 edition of the Prize will be announced (after the award ceremony of 4 April at the Brussels Book Fair), at the presence of the organising consortium and one of the previous years’ winners

Panel

Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin, Writer, EUPL 2022 Special Mention, Ireland; Enrico Turrin, Deputy Director, Federation of European Publishers.

Organized by

BBPlus

BolognaBookPlus

India in the Limelight. Global Opportunities for General and Children's Publishing in India: Export or Translation?

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre
Organized by

BBPlus

In cooperation with

National Book Trust India

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

Jackets Off: Considering Different Cultural Iterations of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre
Panel

 Steven Guarnaccia, illustrator and designer; Ivan Canu, Mimaster Illustrazione

Organized by

BBPlus

BolognaBookPlus

Rududum e la Bambina: the Fairytale of the Little Red Riding Hood Told From Another Point of View

HALL 29 MALL 1
AIE Italian Collective Stand, BBPlus

The immortal fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood narrated from a different perspective. Thus, a new story is born, delicate, inclusive, and poetic, where good and evil clash with magical effects but also blur because truth is never singular. A fairy tale that preserves the evocative power of the classic one, teaching all of us that our fears and weaknesses must be faced with courage to find our own path.

Panel

Paolo Visconti, author; Andrea Nicolucci, illustrator; Gabriella De Paoli, Head of Marketing and Communication, Edizioni Astragalo.

Organized by

Edizioni Astragalo

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

Audio Forum: Introduction and In Conversation with Amanda D'Acierno, Penguin Random House USA

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre
Panel

Jacks Thomas, Guest Director, BolognaBookPlus; Nathan Hull, Chief Strategy Officer, Beat Technology.

Organized by

BBPlus

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

Audio Forum: Multi-language Strategies in the Global Audiobook Market

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre
Panel

Miles Stevens-Hoare, Managing Director, RBmedia International.

Organized by

BBPlus

BolognaBookPlus

The Fast Changing Landscape of Indian Publishing

HALL 29 MALL 1
AIE Italian Collective Stand, BBPlus
Organized by

FICCI

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

Audio Forum: Podcasts, Adaption to Audio... and Back

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre
Panel

Michele Cobb, President, Audio Publishers Association; Chiara Santella, Founder, Studio Ochenta; Sabrina Tinelli, Head of Content, Chora; Carla Herbertson, Founder, Small Wardour.

Organized by

BBPlus

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

Audio Forum: Strategies for Effective Distribution and Monetisation

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre
Panel

Tina Jürgens, Co-CEO, Zebralution.

Organized by

BBPlus

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

Audio Forum: From Digital to Physical, Global Opportunities for Children's Publishers with Audio Players

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre
Panel

Carla Herbertson, Founder, Small Wardour; Eloise Elandaloussi, Head of Content, Tonies; Jessica Tarrant, Content Director, Yoto; Matteo Fabbrini, CEO, FABA; Jim Jacob, Founder, Storybutton.

Organized by

BBPlus

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

Audio Forum: Understanding Listener Behaviours via Data

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre
Panel

Giulia Lo Monaco, Product Manager, Audio Bookwire.

Organized by

BBPlus

Event Highlights
BolognaBookPlus

Audio Forum: Voices from the Diaspora

HALL 29 MALL 1
BBPlus Theatre
Panel

Nathan Hull, Chief Strategy Officer, Beat Technology; Ajay Mago, publisher, Om Books; Raúl Perez, Head of Digital, Grupo Planeta; Liza Faja, Director, Editions Lizzie.

Organized by

BBPlus