Literary Agents

With the aim of providing the best possible support to publishers and promoting the worldwide exchange of publishing rights, the Bologna Children’s Book Fair’s Literary Agents Centre will extend its offer by also opening up to general publishing literary agents; in addition to that, the rights managers of the publishing houses exhibiting in the BolognaBookPlus area will also be able to access the new Rights Centre.

 

Following the successful experience of the Global Rights Exchange (GRE) – the digital platform born in the framework of the Aldus Up project in which BBPlus and BLTF/K are also part, set up during the pandemic period to ensure the operational continuity of the Rights Centre but online while waiting to meet in-person in Bologna – a new and more inclusive Rights Centre has therefore become a reality, for a change that marks a further step forward in the evolution of the Fair, where the trade in rights has always been a founding element. The expansion of the Bologna Rights Centre to include generalist publishing is, in fact, evidence of a move towards an offer that is increasingly capable of uniting in one place and in a single proposal all the opportunities that publishers can benefit from at the fair, from the global trade in rights, to exhibitions and networking opportunities, to training events.

 

Prominent among these are the opportunities for future literary agents and scouts included in the BolognaBookPlus programme, starting with “How to Sell Rights and Understand Licensing in Children’s Books” and aimed at those starting out in the field of rights, contracts and licensing in children’s publishing. And again, “Call Your Agent: How to Become a Successful Literary Agent”, in its second edition and due to offer a world first: a session dedicated to the role of the scout, accompanied by practical advice on the skills needed to enter this profession, on starting a business and on fundamental rights and contracts. Speakers will include the BBPlus 2023 Author Ambassador Loyd Grossman who will be the keynote speaker and, offering insights based on his own experience on how to work positively with agents throughout his career.

 

Lastly, for its third time, the collaboration between BCBF and the American Association of Authors’ Representatives (AAR) that will provide a young literary agent with the opportunity to attend the fair, thanks to Bologna Children’s Book Fair’s support: a competition for the association’s members has in fact named one lucky winner, who will be granted both the journey to Bologna and of a table at the Rights Centre.