World Lounge

The World Lounge is the home of the BCBF Invitation Programme, developed in collaboration with ITA – Italian Trade Agency and MAECI – Ministry of Foreign Affairs and

International Cooperation. Each year, this initiative invites a select group of international publishers to participate in the fair as special guests, chosen for the quality and originality of their publishing work. Thanks to this support, many of these publishers—often small or independent—are able to attend Bologna for the very first time. In 2025, the programme welcomed 40 publishers from 32 countries.

 

More than just an exhibition space, the World Lounge is a hub for exchange, opportunity, and connection, where participants meet international colleagues, present their catalogues, and access publishing markets that might otherwise have been difficult to reach.

Preference will be given to prospective buyers from publishing companies interested in acquiring Italian authors and books for translation overseas, along with publishers who have not participated in previous editions of BCBF.

Participants in the World Lounge benefit from:

 

- A dedicated space at the heart of BCBF's international community

- A curated agenda of B2B meetings with Italian publishers to encourage rights exchange

- Access to a new matchmaking platform, developed in collaboration with the Italian Publishers Association (AIE), to simplify and optimize meeting schedules

- Participation in talks, panels, and professional events, contributing to the global conversation on children’s publishing

 

Whether you're a publisher aiming to expand into new markets or seeking inspiring partnerships, the World Lounge is a vibrant hub for discovery, dialogue, and international

collaboration at BCBF.

The World Lounge has helped strengthen global publishing connections and facilitated new opportunities for both emerging and established publishers. Here are a few recent highlights from participants:

 

• Art Is a Voice by Kripa, published by Art1st (India), was awarded the 2025 BolognaRagazzi Award in the Sustainability Special Category. Art1st participated in the World Lounge in both 2023 and 2024 as part of the BCBF Invitation Programme.

• Following the 2025 fair, Editorial Resistencia (Mexico) acquired the rights to Art Is a Voice for publication in Mexico. “The author has chosen us for the rights. I am finalizing the deal with her editor, and Mexico will have that beautiful edition under Editorial Resistencia!” shared Josefina Larragoiti (Editorial Resistencia, Mexico). Editorial

Resistencia was also among the publishers invited to the World Lounge.

• Editorial Resistencia also initiated a co-publishing exchange with Italian publisher Tomolo EdiGio Edizioni. Tomolo will release El tlacuache aguamielero in Italian and Nahuatl (an indigenous Mexican language), while Editorial Resistencia will publish Grimilde all’Inferno in Spanish and Italian. “We’re both working on our editions—it's a great moment of cultural exchange”, Larragoiti noted.

• Imagnary House (South Africa), represented by Alison Harris and exhibiting in the 2025 World Lounge, was named the 2025 BOP Prize winner for the Africa region, further

expanding its international visibility.

Viviana Sgorbini, Tomolo Edizioni, Italy – BCBF exhibitor who took part in the B2B matchmaking programme with invited publishers: “I believe that the most beautiful part of a collaboration is the chance to share the traditions, legends, and folklore of one’s own country. In this case, the exchange was mutual and enriching for everyone.”

 

Irma Dudushi, Muza Botime, Albania – BCBF Invitation programme: “We met new publishers and were informed about the new releases from existing publishers. Also, we made some new agreements. A very valuable experience.”

 

If you’re interested in participating in future editions of the World Lounge please feel free to contact us.