Illustrators Café
Services Centre
Illustrators Café
Services Centre
Meeting with the Jury & Prize giving Ceremony of the "Chinese Excellence in Children’s Illustration 2025" exhibition, that showcases the best contemporary Chinese illustrators selected each year by a different Jury of leading Chinese and international experts, to present them to the international publishing community at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. The exhibition 2025 (HALL 30, B46-C33) and the catalogue feature the 19 artists selected by the Jury, including the winner.
Panel
Elena Pasoli, Director, Bologna Children's Book Fair; Sara Wang, CEO, Sìdee Cultural Communication; Ao Ran, Deputy Executive Director, China Audio-video and Digital Publishing Association (China); Cathy Olmedillas, Founder and creative director of Studio Anorak, publisher of the magazines Happy Mags for Kids Anorak Magazine, DOT and the new CHEW (Spain); Li Jianping, Dean of the School of Animation at the Beijing Film Academy, Vice-Director of the Committee for the Teaching of Animation and Digital Media at 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 (China); Long Niannan, Senior art teacher at the China National Children’s Center, expert in art education for children and painter (China); Marcella Terrusi, Researcher and lecturer in the field of childhood culture, history of children’s literature and international children’s publishing, University of Bologna (Italy); Mireia Trius, Co-founder, Zahorí Books (Spain); Tan Fengxia, Professor of children’s literature, School of Literature at Nanjing Normal University (China).
Organized by
Bologna Children's Book Fair, China South Publishing & MediaGroup, Sìdee Cultural Communication
In cooperation with
China Publishers
Illustrators Café
Services Centre
The Folio Society will discuss the 2025 Folio Book Illustration Awards.
Moderator
Steven Guarnaccia, illustrator, designer and Associate Professor of Illustration at Parsons School of Design
Panel
Tom Walker, Publishing Director, The Folio Society; Zach Rock, previous winner; Sophia Schoepfer, editor, The Folio Society.
Organized by
BolognaBookPlus
Illustrators Café
Services Centre
The 2025 IBBY Press Conference will showcase IBBY’s latest initiatives and key events. Highlights include the presentation of the 2026 Hans Christian Andersen Award candidates, the celebration of International Children’s Book Day 2025, the launch of the 2025 Selection of Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities, the presentation of a new IBBY-UNESCO project, and news about our next World Congress and Regional Conferences, in addition to the presentation of the Jella Lepman medal to Patricia Aldana.
Panel
Basarat Kazim, President, IBBY; Carolina Ballester, Executive Director, IBBY; Marloes Robijn, President, IBBY Netherlands; Leigh Turina, Project Leader, Toronto Public Library; Cristina Puerta, Head, UNESCO Publishing; Josiane Polidori, 2nd Vice President, IBBY Canada; Tucker Stone, Past President, USBBY, Valerie Coghlan, President, Bookbird Inc.; Shereen Kreidieh, President, 2026 Hans Christian Andersen Award Jury.
Organized by
IBBY - International Board on Books for Young People
Illustrators Café
Services Centre
Moderator
Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief, Publishing Perspectives
Panel
Rachel Martin, Global Director Sustainability, Elsevier; Leonardo Aldegheri, President, Grafiche AZ; Anne Bergman Tahon, Director, Federation of European Publishers; Mary E. Glenn, Chief, Sales and Marketing Section UN Publications, Department of Global Communications United Nations; Helena Mansell-Stopher, Founder and CEO, Products of Change; Iroo Joo, Korean Publishers Association; Gvantsa Jobava, International Publishers Association; Nicolas Roche, BIEF - Bureau international de l'Edition francaise.
Organized by
Bologna Children's Book Fair, BolognaBookPlus, Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids
In cooperation with
United Nations Publications
Illustrators Café
Services Centre
Panel
Jeff Kinney, author and cartoonist; Davide Calì, author, illustrator and cartoonist.
Organized by
Bologna Children's Book Fair
In cooperation with
Abrams Books
Illustrators Café
Services Centre
Art residency in a small country’s border town: does the environment and collaboration with the local community influence the outcome of one’s creative work, and if so, to what extent?
Moderator
Anne Pikkov, Vice-Rector of the Estonian Academy of Arts and Executive Board Member of Cumulus
Panel
Greta Alice, illustrator, Lithuania; Lucia Carlini, illustrator, Italy; Pamela Samel, illustrator, Estonia.
Organized by
Estonia Guest of Honour 2025
In cooperation with
IBBY Estonia
Illustrators Café
Services Centre
What are the working principles and funding models of various organizations that promote children's literature, writers as well as illustrators?
Moderator
Tuulike Kivestu, illustrator, journalist
Panel
Triin Soone, Director, Estonian Children's Literature Centre; Dr. Katja Wiebe, editor for Eastern European Children's and Youth Literature; Justinas Vancevičius, Acting Head of the Children's and Youth Literature Center, Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania.
Organized by
Estonia Guest of Honour 2025
In cooperation with
IBBY Estonia
Illustrators Café
Services Centre
Children’s magazines as a unique stepping stone for aspiring writers and artists. They are a child’s first reading material and an introduction to the works of various authors.
Moderator
Kätlin Vainola
Panel
Llona Martson, Chief Editor, Täheke; Muriel Rathje, Chief Editor, Gecko; Petra Novikova, Communication Manager, Raketa.
Organized by
Estonia Guest of Honour 2025
In cooperation with
IBBY Estonia
Illustrators Café
Services Centre
Exploring the background of cooperation between an Estonian illustrator and a world-famous writer.
Moderator
Tuulike Kivestu, illustrator, journalist
Panel
Regina Lukk Toompere, illustrator; Davide Calì, writer; Valentina Mai, publisher, Kite Edizioni; Takako Totsuka-Mizuno, Green Seed Book.
Organized by
Estonia Guest of Honour 2025
In cooperation with
IBBY Estonia
Illustrators Café
Services Centre
Panel
Åsa Bergman, Head of Office, ALMA; Kajsa Ravin, Director General, Swedish Arts Council; Jan Björklund, Ambassador of Sweden to Italy; Katarina Eriksson Barajas, Jury member, ALMA; Per Gustafsson, Jury member, ALMA; Mårten Sandén, Jury member, ALMA.
Organized by
Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award
Illustrators Café
Services Centre
A symbol of freedom, strength, kindness, courage, and justice. For 80 years, Pippi Longstocking has stood against injustice, inspiring positive change in the world since 1945. This event is an international celebration of Astrid Lindgren: a panel of writers, illustrators, publishers, scholars and translators will come together to pay homage.
Moderator
Nicola Gardini, President at Salani
Panel
Elena Pasoli, Director, Bologna Children’s Book Fair; Jan Björklund, Ambassador to Sweden in Italy; Johan Palmberg, The Astrid Lindgren Company, great-grandchild of Astrid Lindgren.
Writers, illustrators, winners at ALMA, scholars, translators, editors in chief, publishers: Beatrice Alemagna, Pierdomenico Baccalario, Alice Bigli, Moa Brunnberg, Laura Cangemi, Kitty Crowther, Donatella Di Pietrantonio, Martina Forti, Nicola Galli Laforest, Grazia Gotti, Vivian Lamarque, Emilia Lodigiani, Isol, Leonard Marcus, Mariagrazia Mazzitelli, Samanta K. Milton Knowles, Bart Moeyaert, Barbara Schiaffino, Marcella Terrusi, Simona Vinci.
Organized by
Bologna Children's Book Fair
In cooperation with
Salani Editore
Illustrators Café
Services Centre
It is difficult to categorize an artist like Paul Cox: graphic designer, book creator and illustrator, scenographer, painter. Over more than forty years of career, he has experimented with languages, techniques, styles, genres, with the sole imperative of never repeating himself and never getting bored. In this ongoing exploration, Cox chooses the visual book as his favorite playground: within the book he experiments with the interactions between image and text, he plays with styles of figuration, narrative clichés, and the storytelling possibilities that the book, as an object, opens up in all its parts. This is the focus of Wallbook, a large site-specific installation in the exhibition’ rooms of the Fondazione del Monte, where Cox transforms the walls into a kind of giant book to immerse oneself in the figures.
Moderator
Ilaria Tontardini, Hamelin
Panel
Paul Cox, author, illustrator, graphic designer.
Organized by
Hamelin
In cooperation with
Bologna Children's Book Fair, éditions MeMo, Topipittori, Institut Français Italia
With the support of
Fondazione del Monte di Bologna e Ravenna
In the framework of
BOOM! Crescere nei libri
Illustrators Café
Services Centre
In 1989, world leaders made a historic commitment to children by adopting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child—the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history. While this agreement has helped improve the lives of millions, many children around the world are still denied their fundamental rights. To highlight the importance of protecting and promoting these rights, Bologna Children’s Book Fair hosts - in collaboration with the United Nations - a multilingual reading of the Convention, featuring 42 authors, illustrators, and publishers from across the globe. Each participant will read one of the 42 articles of the Convention in their native language, creating a powerful, collective voice for children’s rights.
Organized by
Bologna Children's Book Fair
In cooperation with
United Nations Publications, 42 friends of the children's book community
Illustrators Café
Services Centre
Panel
Henrique Moreira, illustrator.
Organized by
Bologna Children's Book Fair
In cooperation with
Fundación SM
Illustrators Café
Services Centre
Moderator
Giacomo Benelli, Co-founder and Coordinator, Mimaster Illustrazione
Panel
Donna Chai, General Manager, BolognaFiere China, China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair; Mariaelena Schiavo, Special Projects Manager, Bologna Children’s Book Fair; Yukiko Hiromatsu, Picture Book author, critic, independent curator, juror of 2024 Golden Pinwheel Young Illustrators Competition; Heimi, illustrator, winner of 2024 Golden Pinwheel Young Illustrators Competition Grand Award; Daniele Morganti, illustrator, winner of 2024 Golden Pinwheel Young Illustrators Competition Special Mention
Organized by
Bologna Children's Book Fair, China Shanghai International Children's Book Fair
Illustrators Café
Services Centre
Katsumi Komagata (1953 - 2024) is known as the Bruno Munari of the Orient. Starting with the Little Eyes series designed for his daughter Ai, he has revolutionized the concept of picture books for babies and toddlers. This special panel will present the making of Katsumi Komagata and analyze some of his major works and his activities in Italy while giving important projections into the future.
Moderator
Ayami Moriizumi, researcher
Panel
Kiyoko Matsuoka, Director, Itabashi Art Museum; Steven Guarnaccia, illustrator, designer and Associate Professor of Illustration at Parsons School of Design; Ai Komagata, One Stroke; Francesco Saviola, Mutty; Antonella Dalla Rosa, La Baracca - Testoni.
Organized by
Itabashi Art Museum, One Stroke
In cooperation with
Bologna Children's Book Fair
Illustrators Café
Services Centre
Moderator
Marcella Terrusi, Professor, University of Bologna
Panel
Walter Fochesato, scholar of children's literature and the history of illustration, Deputy Director of Andersen magazine; Chris Haughton, illustrator, author, Ireland; Neal Porter, publisher, Neal Porter Books, Imprint Holiday House, USA; Felicita Sala, illustrator, Italia; Gema Sirvent, Founder, Editorial Libre Albedrío.
Organized by
Bologna Children's Book Fair
Illustrators Café
Services Centre
Organized by
Bologna Children's Book Fair
Illustrators Café
Services Centre
On the occasion of the 35th anniversary of Mondadori’s “Leggere le figure” series, together with Leonard Marcus, we will revisit some of the titles that have shaped the history of contemporary picture books over the past 40 years, exploring what makes a picture book a classic.
Moderator
Ilaria Tontardini, Hamelin
Panel
Leonard Marcus, children's book historian, critic, author.
Organized by
Mondadori
In cooperation with
Hamelin, Bologna Children's Book Fair
Illustrators Café
Services Centre
Annuncio del libro vincitore nella categoria "Narrazione per immagini".
Moderator
Marcella Terrusi, Professor, University of Bologna
Organized by
Bologna Children's Book Fair
In cooperation with
Fondazione Bellonci
Illustrators Café
Services Centre
BCBF hosts every other year the winners of two prestigious children's book awards in the arts, the BIB - Biennial of Illustration Bratislava and the Hans Christian Andersen Award, to create the Illustrators Annual cover: the catalogue collecting all the works of the artists selected for the Illustrators Exhibition. The 2025 Illustrators Annual cover has been created by Sydney Smith, Canada, winner dell’H. C. Andersen Award 2024.
Panel
Sydney Smith, illustrator, Canada; Marcella Terrusi, Professor, University of Bologna.
Organized by
Bologna Children's Book Fair
Illustrators Café
Services Centre
Susie Morgenstern is one of the cornerstones of world children's literature. Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur and Officier of l’Ordre national du Mérite for her contribution to the arts for children, she has added to the numerous awards received over the years the prestigious Grande Ourse at the last Montreuil Book Fair. On the occasion of her magnificent 80th birthday, BCBF pays her a well-deserved tribute.
Moderator
Ilaria Tontardini, Hamelin
Panel
Susie Morgernstern, writer; Beatrice Masini, writer; Sylvie Vassallo and Nathalie Donikian, Salon du Livre et de la Presse Jeunesse en Seine-Saint-Denis.
Organized by
Bologna Children's Book Fair
In cooperation with
Hamelin
With the support of
Salon du Livre et de la Presse Jeunesse en Seine-Saint-Denis, Institut Français Italia, ITA-Italian Trade Agency and MAECI-Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
Illustrators Café
Services Centre
Panel
Heena Baek, author and illustrator.
Organized by
Bologna Children's Book Fair
In cooperation with
Terre di mezzo Editore
Illustrators Café
Services Centre
Quest’anno Piemme festeggia 25 anni di grandi successi in compagnia di Geronimo Stilton. Il celebre topo giornalista, nato da un’idea di Elisabetta Dami, rappresenta un’eccellenza italiana con numeri da record che dal nostro Paese ha raccolto l’amore di milioni di ragazze e ragazzi in tutto il mondo, grazie alle sue avventure al contempo buffe, intelligenti, spiritose, istruttive, divertenti.
Panel
Enrico Racca, scrittore; Elisabetta Dami, scrittrice; Pierdomenico Baccalario, scrittore.
Organized by
Piemme, International Character
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