63rd edition 13- 16 April 2026 | Bologna - Italy
63rd edition 13- 16 April 2026 | Bologna - Italy
Illustrators Café
Services Centre
Designer Studio
HALL 29
The 2026 Talking Pictures Award celebrates Norway's visual book excellence. A dedicated jury selected winners for their creative innovation and outstanding visual impact.
Moderator
Ilaria Tontardini, Hamelin, Italy
Panel
Steven Guarnaccia, illustrator, designer, USA; Jacks Thomas, Guest Director, BolognaBookPlus, UK.
Organised by
BolognaBookPlus
In cooperation with
Hamelin, Steven Guarnaccia
With the support of
Grafill and NORLA-Norwegian Literature Abroad
In the framework of
Talking Pictures
Norway Café
HALL 30, A12-B9
Moderator
Maria Nayr de Pinho Correia Ibrahim, Associate Professor, Nord University, Norway
Panel
Charlotta Langejan, Senior Advisor, Nord University, Norway; Linnéa Ellen Knutsen, translator, Norway; Peter Dowling; Marit Alette Utsi, editor, Davvi Girji, Norway.
Organised by
Nord University, Norway Guest of Honour 2026
BolognaBookPlus Theatre
HALL 29 MALL 1
Organised by
BolognaBookPlus
In cooperation with
Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Norway Café
HALL 30, A12-B9
Panel
Alexander Løken, chair of NBU-Norwegian Writers for Children, Norway.
Organised by
NBU - Norwegian Writers for Children, Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Norway Café
HALL 30, A12-B9
Panel
Håkon Marcus, author, Norway; Arne Lindmo, teacher, author, Norway.
Organised by
Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Norway GoH Area
Services Centre
Panel
Øyvind Torseter, author, illustrator, Norway.
Organised by
Norway Guest of Honour 2026
BolognaBookPlus Theatre
HALL 29 MALL 1
Organised by
BolognaBookPlus
In cooperation with
Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Norway Café
HALL 30, A12-B9
Panel
Lubna Jaffery, Norway´s Minister of Culture and Equality, Norway; Trude Hoel, Professor, University of Stavanger, Norway; Katarzyna Tunkiel, Associate Professor, University of Stavanger, Norway.
Organised by
Norwegian Reading Centre, Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Norway Café
HALL 30, A12-B9
Panel
Bjørn Arild Ersland, author, Norway; Ragnhild Holmås, author, Norway.
Organised by
NFFO-The Norwegian Non-Fiction Writers and Translators Association, Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Illustrators Café
Services Centre
Moderator
Eva Valvo, literary translator, editorial scout, expert in Nordic literature, Italy
Panel
Stian Hole, author, illustrator, Norway; Øyvind Torseter, author, illustrator, Norway.
Organised by
Norway Guest of Honour 2026
The Content Café
HALL 30
An immersion in the Norwegian comics scene, among the most innovative in Europe. Some of its protagonists recount the evolution of this language, from author graphic novels to comics for children. Amid Nordic atmospheres, humor, and visual experimentation, we discover why Norway is one of the new laboratories of visual storytelling.
Moderator
Hans Ivar Stordal, comics editor, Strand Forlag, Norway
Panel
Nora Dåsnes, cartoonist, Norway; Kjersti Sinneva Moen, cartoonist, Norway; Håkon Strand, Founder, Strand Comics, Norway; Tonje Tornes, editor, TNT, Norway.
Organised by
Norway Guest of Honour 2026, Bologna Children's Book Fair
In cooperation with
Hamelin
With the support of
NORLA - Norwegian Literature Abroad
In the framework of
Comics Corner
Norway Café
HALL 30, A12-B9
The New Voices programme by NORLA supports aspiring to authors in how to present their books to an international audience.
Moderator
Oliver Møystad, Senior Advisor, Main contact Fiction, Children/YA and Non-Fiction, NORLA, Norway
Panel
Arne Lindmo, teacher, author, Norway; Cathrine Sandmæl, illustrator, author, Norway; Fabian Christensen, actor, author, Norway; Gøril Sæther, author, journalist, Norway; Julia Lossius Kahrs, writer, Norway; Pernille Radeid, author, Norway, Veronica Salinas, author, professor, Norway.
Organised by
Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Translators Café
HALL 30
Moderator
Margit Walsø, Director, NORLA, Norway
Panel
Jostein Gaarder, writer, Norway; Andrea Romanzi, translator and university lecturer, Italy; Kristin Roskifte, writer and illustrator, Norway.
Organised by
NORLA − Norwegian Literature Abroad, Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Illustrators Café
Services Centre
Insights on how to inspire and strengthen reading engagement from early childhood through the school years.
Moderator
Per Henning Uppstad, Professor, University of Stavanger, Norway
Panel
Trude Hoel, Professor, University of Stavanger, Norway; Lisa Nagel, Editor, Aschehoug Publishing House, Norway; Siri Risdal, Senior Adviser, Rogaland County Library, Norway; Katarzyna Tunkiel, Associate Professor, Norwegian Reading Centre, Norway; Bente Rigmor Walgermo, Associate Professor, Norwegian Reading Centre, Norway.
Organised by
NORLA − Norwegian Literature Abroad, Norwegian Reading Centre, Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Norway Café
HALL 30, A12-B9
Panel
Author Maja Lunde, author, Norway; Siri Sjøgren Selmer, author, Norway; Scott Rettberg, Professor, Norway.
Organised by
Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Illustrators Café
Services Centre
Moderator
Ragnfrid Trohaug, Head of Children's and YA publishing, Cappelen Damm Publishing House, Norway
Panel
Trine Skei Grande, Director of the Norwegian Publishers' Association; Anna Fiske, author, illustrator, Sweden; Alexander Løken, Chair, Norwegian Writers for Children, Norway; Andrea Romanzi, translator, university lecturer, Italy.
Organised by
Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Norway Café
HALL 30, A12-B9
Moderator
Elaina Ryan
Panel
Eira Kluge, author, Norway; Rachel Boden, editor, UK; Valentina Stoeva, Founder and Chairperson, Children’s Books Foundation, Bulgaria, Co-chair EURead.
Organised by
Foundation READ, Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Designer Studio
HALL 29
Moderator
Emilio Varrà, President, Hamelin, Italy
Panel
Steven Guarnaccia, illustrator, designer, USA; Øyvind Torseter, cartoonist, illustrator, Norway.
Organised by
BolognaBookPlus
In cooperation with
Hamelin and Steven Guarnaccia
With the support of
NORLA-Norwegian Literature Abroad
In the framework of
Talking Pictures
Norway Café
HALL 30, A12-B9
Panel
Hilde Hodnefjeld, author, Norway, illustrator; Mia Granum, author, Norway.
Organised by
The Norwegian Festival of Literature, Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Norway GoH Area
Services Centre
Panel
Nora Dåsnes, author, Norway.
Organised by
Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Norway Café
HALL 30, A12-B9
Using the Read-to-me checklist to provide motivating feedback while reading engaging texts.
Moderator
Per Henning Uppstad, Professor, Norway
Panel
Bjørn Arild Ersland, Associate Professor Bente Walgermo, Norway.
Organised by
Norwegian Reading Centre, Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Norway Café
HALL 30, A12-B9
Panel
Kristine Rui Slettebakken, author, Norway; Alice Tonzig, translator, Italy.
Organised by
Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Norway Café
HALL 30, A12-B9
Lessons from across Europe.
Moderator
Vibeke Røgler, Executive Director, the LESE Foundation, Norway
Panel
Caroline Hill, author, UK; Daan Beeke, author, Latvia.
Organised by
Foundation READ, Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Norway Café
HALL 30, A12-B9
Moderator
Stian Hole, author, illustrator, Norway
Panel
Øyvind Torseter, author, illustrator, Norway; Akin Düzakin, illustrator, Norway; Lucio Schiavon, illustrator, Italy.
Organised by
Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Norway Café
HALL 30, A12-B9
Panel
Siri Pettersen, author, Norway.
Organised by
Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Translators Café
HALL 30
Participants:
Andrea Romanzi and Eva Valvo
Illustrators: Lucio Schiavon and Øyvind Torseter
Moderated by: Laura Cangemi and Giovanna Paterniti
The text is taken from Hundemanuscripts by Jon Fosse.
Panel
Andrea Romanzi, translator and university lecturer; Eva Valvo, translator; Laura Cangemi; Giovanna Paterniti.
Organised by
Bologna Children's Book Fair
The Content Café
HALL 30
We are witnessing a decline in reading motivation and literacy among children and young people. To address this, Norway has launched a national reading strategy and a major reading initiative and appointed a reading commission with the ambition of making children in Norway among the world’s strongest readers. What will determine success?
Moderator
Siri Risdal, Senior Advisor, Rogaland County Library, Norway
Panel
Marit Borkenhagen, Director, The Norwegian Festival of Literature, Norway; Trine Skei Grande, Director, Norwegian Publishers' Association, Norway; Maja Lunde, author, Norway; Bente Estil, Member of Parliament and Chair of the Standing Committee on Family and Cultural Affairs, Norway.
Organised by
NORLA − Norwegian Literature Abroad, The Norwegian Festival of Literature
Norway Café
HALL 30, A12-B9
Moderator
Hilde Kramer, author and illustrator; Veronica Salinas, author, Professor, Norway; Kjersti Lersbryggen Mørk, Professor, Norway
Organised by
NBI-The Norwegian Institute for Children's Books, Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Norway Café
HALL 30, A12-B9
The power of daring books.
Panel
Marta Breen, author, Norway; Eivor Vindenes, author, Norway.
Organised by
Foundation READ, Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Norway Café
HALL 30, A12-B9
Moderator
Helene Voldner, President of the Norwegian Library Association, Norway
Panel
Nicole Pfister Fetz, Willemien Cazzato-Wagner, Anne Bergman, Andrew Cranfield.
Organised by
Norwegian Library Association, Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Translators Café
HALL 30
Moderator
Jan Christopher Næss, author, Norwegian Association of Literary Translator
Panel
Francesca Novajra, CEATL; Kaja Bakkejord, translator; Della Passarelli, Sinnos Editrice.
Organised by
NORLA − Norwegian Literature Abroad, The Norwegian Association of Literary Translators, Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Norway Café
HALL 30, A12-B9
Moderator
Marit Alette Utsi
Panel
Elisabeth Sheehy, Margit Walsø, Harald Gask.
Organised by
Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Norway Café
HALL 30, A12-B9
A special issue of Andersen magazine.
Panel
Martina Russo, Eva Valvo, Karen Frøsland Nystøyl.
Organised by
Andersen, Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Norway Café
HALL 30, A12-B9
Panel
Camilla Michelle Brand, Eira Kluge.
Organised by
The Norwegian Festival of Literature, Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Norway Café
HALL 30, A12-B9
Moderator
Ragnhild Malfang, librarian and former long-term leader of IBBY Norway
Panel
Cha Sandmæl, author, illustrator, Norway; Cathrine Sandmæle, author, illustrator, Norway.
Organised by
IBBY Norway, Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Norway Café
HALL 30, A12-B9
Panel
Sølvi Riise, author, Norway; Morten Olsen Haugen, author, Norway.
Organised by
Nordland and Trøndelag county libraries, Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Translators Café
HALL 30
Challenges and joy in translation from Norwegian and other Nordic languages into Italian.
Panel
Coordinators: Laura Cangemi, Alba Mantovani, Giovanna Paterniti, Roberta Scarabelli, Loredana Serratore (translators).
Organised by
AITI e StradeLab
In cooperation with
FAAM Lab
Norway Café
HALL 30, A12-B9
Moderator
Francesca Sophie Giona, translator, Italy
Panel
Jan Christopher Næss, author, Norway; Are Tijihkkom, Eva Valvo, translator, Italy.
Organised by
CEATL-European Council of Literary Translators’ Associations, Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Norway GoH Area
Services Centre
Panel
Øyvind Torseter, author, illustrator, Norway.
Organised by
Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Norway Café
HALL 30, A12-B9
Panel
Eira Kluge, author, Norway; Therese Garshol, author, scholar, Norway.
Organised by
The Norwegian Festival of Literature, Norway Guest of Honour 2026
The Illustrators Survival Corner - Masterclass Area
HALL 30
From Stian Hole’s atmospheres to Kristin Roskifte’s organized chaos: how visual design and philosophy unite to pose life’s big questions to young readers.
Panel
Stian Hole, author, illustrator, Norway; Kristin Roskifte, author, illustrator, Norway.
With the support of
NORLA - Norwegian Literature Abroad
Norway Café
HALL 30, A12-B9
Moderator
Steffen Sørum
Panel
Sanne Mathiassen; Ole Ivar Burås Storø; Irene Marienborg; Håkon Marcus, Norway.
Organised by
NBI-The Norwegian Institute for Children's Books, Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Norway Café
HALL 30, A12-B9
Panel
Tormod Løkling, author, Norway; Malin Falch, cartoonist, illustrator, Norway; Cha Sandmæl, illustrator, Norway; Cathrine Sandmæl, illustrator, Norway.
Organised by
TNT, Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Translators Café
HALL 30
The jury will provide an overall feedback to participants in the translation competition from Norwegian.
Panel
Giovanna Paterniti and Eva Valvo, translators and editorial scouts, experts in Nordic literature.
Organised by
Bologna Children's Book Fair
Norway Café
HALL 30, A12-B9
Government support of indigenous literature in Norway.
Panel
Beate Heide, author, Norway.
Organised by
Mun Dajan, Sámi authors' association, Norway Guest of Honour 2026
Translators Café
HALL 30
Organised by
Bologna Children's Book Fair
Norway GoH Area
Services Centre
Panel
Øyvind Torseter, author, illustrator, Norway.
Organised by
Norway Guest of Honour 2026
