The Illustrators Café

ENG/ITA

Illustrators Café

Services Centre

NORWAY GUEST OF HONOUR

THE ILLUSTRATORS CAFÉ

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

ENG

Illustrators Café

Services Centre

THE ILLUSTRATORS CAFÉ

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

AWARDS & CONTESTS

Meeting with the jury and the awards ceremony of "Chinese Excellence in Children's Illustration 2026," an exhibition presenting the best contemporary Chinese illustrators selected each year by a different jury composed of Chinese and international experts, to present them to the international publishing community of the Bologna Children's Book Fair. The 2026 exhibition (Hall 30 B46-C45) and the catalog feature the 18 artists selected by the jury, including the winners.

Organised by

Bologna Children's Book Fair, China South Publishing & MediaGroup, Sìdee Cultural Communication

In cooperation with

China Publishers

ITA/ENG

Illustrators Café

Services Centre

THE ILLUSTRATORS CAFÉ

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

Who is Marie Neurath? A trailblazing graphic designer and visionary, she, together with her husband Otto Neurath, was the architect of the Isotype language, laying the foundations of modern information graphics. But the heart of her work lies in the vast output of children's science-education books, a genuine design lab for actively shaping understanding through the magic of visual storytelling, which by its nature is immediate and universal. On the occasion of the launch of this internationally oriented cultural project, Quinto Quarto presents the return to the world stage of iconic works such as Piccolissimo, anzi invisibile , and E se potessi guardare dentro? , restored with respect for the original aesthetics but reproposed with a contemporary graphical relaunch.

Panel

Riccardo Falcinelli, graphic designer, Italy; Alessandra Falconi, Director, Centro Alberto Manzi, Italy; Maura Romeo, publisher, Quinto Quarto Edizioni, Italy; Sue Walker, Director, Otto Archive and Marie Neurath, University of Reading, UK.

Organised by

Quinto Quarto Edizioni

In cooperation with

Bologna Children's Book Fair, University of Reading

ENG

Illustrators Café

Services Centre

THE ILLUSTRATORS CAFÉ

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

AWARDS & CONTESTS

The IBBY Press Conference presents the work of IBBY throughout the year and highlights its most important activities and events, including the 40th World Congress (Ottawa, Canada, 6–9 August 2026) and 2026 International Children's Book Day. It is also the much-expected occasion to discover the winners of the 2026 Hans Christian Andersen Award and the IBBY Reading Promotions Awards.

Moderator

Carolina Ballester, Executive Director, IBBY, Switzerland

Panel

Basarat Kazim, President, IBBY, Pakistan; Shereen Kreidieh, President, Hans Christian Andersen Award Jury, Lebanon; Elisabetta Lippolis, Italy, and Jane O'Hanlon, Ireland, IBBY Reading Promotion Award Jury Co-Chairs; Patti McIntosh, President, IBBY Canada; Elena Perikleous, Cyprus Commissioner for Children’s Rights; Valerie Coghlan, President, Bookbird Inc., Ireland.

Organised by

IBBY-International Board on Books for Young People

With the support of

Bologna Children's Book Fair

ENG

Illustrators Café

Services Centre

READING PROMOTION

THE ILLUSTRATORS CAFÉ

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

A panel of publishers and reading experts will present some of the most successful projects currently underway around the world, including #ioleggoperché in Italy, the quart d’heure de lecture in France, the UK’s The National Year of Reading, and other projects still being finalized. The second part of the meeting will focus on proposals from trade associations, with contributions from representatives of FEP, IPA and IBBY to foster discussion on ongoing initiatives, future challenges, and priorities identified through dialogue with European and international institutions.

Moderator

Luis Gonzalez, Director of the Fundación Germán Sánchez Ruipérez (FGSR), Spain

Panel

Anne Bergman, Director, FEP-Federation of European Publishers, Belgium; Innocenzo Cipolletta, President, AIE-Italian Publishers Association; Dan Conway, CEO, Publishers Association, UK; Agathe Jacon, Deputy Director, L’École des loisirs and Co-Director, La Maison des Histoires, SNE-Syndicat National de l'Édition, France; Gvantsa Jobava, President, IPA-International Publishers Association, Georgia; Basarat Kazim, President, IBBY, Pakistan; Elena Pasoli, Director, Bologna Children's Book Fair, Italy; Gaia Stock, Editorial Director, Edizioni EL Einaudi Ragazzi Emme Edizioni, representative AIE-Italian Publishers Association.

Organised by

AIE - Italian Publishers Association, Bologna Children’s Book Fair

In cooperation with

SNE-Syndicat National de l’Édition, FEP-Federation of European Publishers, IPA-International Publishers Association, IBBY-International Board on Books for Young People

ENG

Illustrators Café

Services Centre

THE ILLUSTRATORS CAFÉ

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

In a year celebrating literature from Northern Europe, Beatrice Alemagna and Emma Adbåge guide us on a journey of discovery through the poetic universe of Eva Lindström. With subtle irony, melancholy, and unparalleled freedom of expression, two of the most innovative contemporary illustrators explore the legacy of a true master of illustrated books.

Moderator

Emilio Varrà, President, Hamelin, Italy

Panel

Beatrice Alemagna, author, illustrator, Italy; Emma AdBåge, illustrator, Sweden.

Organised by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In cooperation with

Hamelin, Camelozampa, Alfabeta, Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award

With the support of

Creative Europe Programme for "Reading Diversity"

ENG

Illustrators Café

Services Centre

NORWAY GUEST OF HONOUR

THE ILLUSTRATORS CAFÉ

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

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

ENG

Illustrators Café

Services Centre

NORWAY GUEST OF HONOUR

THE ILLUSTRATORS CAFÉ

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

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; Siri Risdal, Senior Adviser, Rogaland County Library; Katarzyna Tunkiel, Associate Professor, Norwegian Reading Centre, Norway; Bente Rigmor Walgermo, Associate Professor, Norwegian Reading Centre.

Organised by

NORLA − Norwegian Literature Abroad, Norwegian Reading Centre, Norway Guest of Honour 2026

ENG

Illustrators Café

Services Centre

NORWAY GUEST OF HONOUR

THE ILLUSTRATORS CAFÉ

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

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

ENG

Illustrators Café

Services Centre

THE ILLUSTRATORS CAFÉ

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

AWARDS & CONTESTS

Announcement of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026, broadcast live from Stockholm.

Organised by

Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award

ENG

Illustrators Café

Services Centre

THE ILLUSTRATORS CAFÉ

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

Praised around the world for her resonant, poetic stories of “resilient young people fighting to find a place where their lives can take root,” Jacqueline Woodson is the author of many books for children, adolescents, and adults, including her U.S. National Book Award-winning memoir Brown Girl Dreaming and best-selling picture books including The Day You Begin and The Year We Learned to Fly. She has served as the U.S. Young People’s Poet Laureate as well as the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. She received the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in 2018. In 2020 she was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Medal and was named a MacArthur Fellow. Jacqueline will join editor and critic Maria Russo for a wide-ranging conversation about her journey from debut novelist to winner of the world’s most prestigious literary and cultural awards; the struggles writers of the Global Majority have getting their work into the world, and why awards matter so much; and what we can all do to combat the forces of distraction, censorship, and authoritarian propaganda and sustain the culture of reading and books for young people across the globe.

Moderator

Maria Russo, editor-at-large, Union Square Kids, USA

Panel

Jacqueline Woodson, writer, USA.

Organised by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In cooperation with

Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award

ENG

Illustrators Café

Services Centre

THE ILLUSTRATORS CAFÉ

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

AWARDS & CONTESTS

Panel

Maria Haiduk, illustrator, Ukraine; Teresa Tellechea, editor, Fundación SM, Spain.

Organised by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In cooperation with

Fundación SM

ENG

Illustrators Café

Services Centre

THE ILLUSTRATORS CAFÉ

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

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 distinguished 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.

Organised by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In cooperation with

UN Publications, 42 Friends of the Children's Book Community

ENG

Illustrators Café

Services Centre

THE ILLUSTRATORS CAFÉ

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

A chorus in defense of childhood from the world of children's literature, in response to its brutal extermination in conflicts taking place around the world. The event is inspired by a recent case: a participant on a television program, confronted with data about children killed in a conflict, replied to his interlocutor “Define ‘child’.” The scandal sparked many people in the following days to join peaceful demonstrations, using Beatrice Alemagna’s children’s book “Che cos’è un bambino?” as an implicit answer. This response will be reiterated here by Beatrice, who will read her book, and by others who will accompany her with additional readings, to affirm the need to protect and safeguard childhood, regardless of any definition.

Panel

Beatrice Alemagna, author, illustrator, Italy; Adolfo Córdova, author, journalist, Linternas y Bosques blog, Mexico; Micheal Rosen, poet, author, UK Hervé Tullet, artist, writer, illustrator, France.

Organised by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In cooperation with

Topipittori

ENG

Illustrators Café

Services Centre

THE ILLUSTRATORS CAFÉ

Michael Rosen and Benjamin Phillips discuss the research that brought to light the powerful history told in their picture book "One Day", sharing the investigative work and sources that made the book possible. Michael Rosen will also reflect on a deeply personal connection to the story: the train to Auschwitz described in the book is the very same train on which his father’s uncle and aunt were deported. A compelling conversation exploring history, memory, and the process of uncovering the past.

Panel

Michael Rosen, poet, author, UK; Benjamin Phillips, author, illustrator, Canada.

Organised by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In cooperation with

Emme Edizioni

ENG

Illustrators Café

Services Centre

THE ILLUSTRATORS CAFÉ

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

In the framework of the cycle of three talks on children’s literature, fashion, and costume, connected to the international exhibition The Fabulous Wardrobe and The Endless Twist this event is dedicated to the artistic universe of Albertine, exploring fashion, illustration, design and imagination. The Swiss artist, multi-award-winning and recipient of the 2020 Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration, is illustrator, animator and author. Her work often centres on clothing, offering an ironic and cross-cutting reflection on fashion and the creation of unexpected, imaginative designs. Among her projects is a fashion show featuring garments brought to life from her illustrations. Joining the discussion are Giulia Rossi, fashion semiologist and university lecturer, and Marcella Terrusi, curator, author of The Fabulous Wardrobe (Carocci, 2025), and lecturer at the University of Bologna.

Moderator

Marcella Terrusi, Professor, University of Bologna, Italy

Panel

Albertine Zullo, illustrator, Switzerland; Giulia Rossi, Semiologist of fashion, Italy.

Organised by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

ENG

Illustrators Café

Services Centre

THE ILLUSTRATORS CAFÉ

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

Moderator

Marcella Terrusi, Professor, University of Bologna, Italy

Panel

Cho Sunkyung, artist and designer, SI Picture Books School, Somebooks, South Korea; Jenni Erkintalo, graphic artist, illustrator, Etana Editions, Finland; Alīse Nigale, CEO, Liels un Mazs, Latvia; Daniela Olejníková, Illlustrator, Slovakia; Riccardo Vecchio, visual artist, Chair, MFA Illustration as Visual Essay, School of Visual Arts, New York City, USA.

Organised by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

ENG

Illustrators Café

Services Centre

THE ILLUSTRATORS CAFÉ

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

AWARDS & CONTESTS

Panel

Elena Pasoli, Director, Bologna Children's Book Fair; José Manuel Cidad, President, Fundación SM, Spain; Walter Fochesato, Lecturer, Ars in Fabula Master, scholar of children's literature and the history of illustration, Deputy Director, Andersen Magazine, Italy.

Organised by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

ITA

Illustrators Café

Services Centre

PINOCCHIO DAY

THE ILLUSTRATORS CAFÉ

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

Un dialogo tra Lorenzo Mattotti, maestro dell’illustrazione italiana, e Nicole Tecchio, giovane artista selezionata tra le 24 opere vincitrici del concorso internazionale dedicato a Le avventure di Pinocchio . Un incontro che celebra il bicentenario di Carlo Collodi e la continua reinvenzione del celebre burattino attraverso lo sguardo degli illustratori di ieri e di oggi.

Moderator

Grazia Gotti, ex libraia, autrice, curatrice, consulente, Italia

Panel

Lorenzo Mattotti, artista, Italia; Nicole Tecchio, illustratrice, Italia.

Organised by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

ITA

Illustrators Café

Services Centre

THE ILLUSTRATORS CAFÉ

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

AWARDS & CONTESTS

Annuncio del libro vincitore nella categoria "Narrazione per immagini" e per il primo anno a BCBF, annuncio del premio" Libro d'esordio".

Organised by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In cooperation with

Fondazione Bellonci

ENG

Illustrators Café

Services Centre

THE ILLUSTRATORS CAFÉ

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

To celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of the Illustrators Exhibition, we meet some of the protagonists of this incredible story that has lived in the heart of the BCBF since 1967 and is one of the most anticipated events by publishers, artists, and professionals in children’s publishing. Over the years, the Exhibition becomes a privileged observatory with a continually evolving view of the trends in contemporary visual language and, together, a place of discovery, comparison, and dialogue between cultures. In Bologna, illustration proves to be not only a protagonist of children’s books but a form of art capable of telling stories, crossing languages, and building bridges between generations and countries. This Exhibition with its Annual is nothing but the Family Album of the great Family of children’s books in the world.

Panel

Azul Lopez, illustrator, Mexico; Leonard S. Marcus, Children's Book historian, author and critic, USA; Elena Pasoli, Director, Bologna Children's Book Fair, Italy; Hedwige Pasquet, President, Gallimard Jeunesse, France; Sydney Smith, illustrator, Canada; Paola Vassalli, author, curator, Italy; Riccardo Vecchio, visual artist, President, MFA Illustration, School of Visual Arts, New York City, USA.

Organised by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

ENG

Illustrators Café

Services Centre

THE ILLUSTRATORS CAFÉ

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

Panel

Grzegorz Jankowicz, Director, The Polish Book Institute, Poland; Olga Brzezińska, Deputy Director, Adam Mickiewicz Institute, Poland; Magdalena Kłos-Podsiadło, exhibition curator, Poland.

Organised by

The Polish Book Institute

In cooperation with

Bologna Children's Book Fair, BolognaBookPlus

ITA/ENG

Illustrators Café

Services Centre

THE ILLUSTRATORS CAFÉ

A meeting to tell, through the illustrators involved, the strength of the European project "OLL - Our Little Library" supported by the European Union that creates bridges between different European countries by enhancing the best literature and illustration for children.

Moderator

Martina Russo, journalist, Rivista Andersen

Panel

Alenka Urh, literary critic, editor, translator, Sodobnost International Cultural Society, Slovenia; Saša Krnic Ibis, Director, Ibis GrafiKa, Croatia; Della Passarelli, Editorial Director, Sinnos, Italy; Federico Appel, illustrator, Italy; Daniela Carucci, writer, Italy; Petra Preželj, illustrator, Slovenia; Wout Schildermans (Melvin), illustrator, Belgium; Igor Sinkovec, illustrator, Slovenia; Ana Vujasić illustrator, Croatia.

Organised by

Sinnos Publisher

With the support of

European Union

In the framework of

CREA-CULT-2023-COOP — CREA-CULT-2023-COOP-1

ITA

Illustrators Café

Services Centre

THE ILLUSTRATORS CAFÉ

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

Ogni giorno ciascuno di noi si trova di fronte a una scelta. Accettare la realtà così com’è o chiedersi se c’è qualcosa che può essere cambiato. Vivere nell’indifferenza e nell’apatia o farci animare dalla passione e partecipare, metterci in gioco. Rimanere in silenzio o dire ad alta voce “non sono d’accordo”. Per praticare i nostri diritti di cittadine e cittadini dobbiamo porci le domande giuste. Cos’è il potere e chi lo esercita davvero? Perché la libertà non è fare tutto quello che vogliamo? Quando comunichiamo, siamo consapevoli di avere tra le mani uno strumento potentissimo, capace di ferire ma anche di accogliere? Storie, idee, passioni per cambiare il mondo: per la prima volta alla BCBF, Gianrico Carofiglio racconta la forza delle parole e delle azioni, a partire dal suo manuale di lotta e gentilezza rivolto alle ragazze e ai ragazzi (ma in realtà anche agli adulti).

Panel

Gianrico Carofiglio, scrittore, Italia.

Organised by

Bologna Children's Book Fair, Mondadori

ITA

Illustrators Café

Services Centre

THE ILLUSTRATORS CAFÉ

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

Cosa leggeva da bambino un grande narratore della storia? Un viaggio a ritroso tra i volumi che hanno segnato la formazione di Alessandro Barbero. In conversazione con Giacomo Benelli e Ivan Canu, il professor Barbero intreccerà memorie personali e radici letterarie alle pagine di Pinocchio , Cuore , i romanzi di Salgari e altri classici dell’infanzia.

Panel

Alessandro Barbero, storico e scrittore, Italia; Giacomo Benelli, coordinatore, The Illustrators Survival Corner, Italia; Ivan Canu, illustratore, Direttore, Mimaster Illustrazione, Italia.

Organised by

Bologna Children's Book Fair

In cooperation with

Mimaster Illustrazione