Bologna Children's Book Fair 2025

Slovenian Publishers and Creators at the Heart of International Exchange

Nika Mušič

A Global Platform for Children’s Literature

Every year, for four exciting days, Bologna becomes the world capital for book publishing, illustration, animation, multimedia and licensing. Three distinct yet interconnected events unfold simultaneously: the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, the world’s largest and most significant fair dedicated to children’s and youth literature; BolognaBookPlus, focused on general book publishing; and the Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kid, highlighting brands and content for children, teens and young adults.

Held at the BolognaFiere Exhibition Centre from March 31 to April 3, this year marked the fair’s 62nd edition. It featured an impressive 1,577 exhibitors from around 95 countries and regions. BolognaBookPlus was sold out for the first time, with publishers from 56 countries actively trading book rights. More than 600 fair events were attended by 33,318 professional visitors, which is 5% more than last year, and they were covered by journalists from over 40 countries. The fair also has a strong digital presence; in the past year, the website recorded more than 2 million views from over 180 countries.

These numbers confirm that the Bologna Children's Book Fair is the leading international platform for children's and young adult literature. It supports content that spans the entire book value chain and extends beyond — with a dedicated TV/Film Rights Centre and, as of this year, a newly launched Games Business Centre. With diverse programming and numerous industry participants, the fair offers valuable opportunities for professionals, including those from Slovenia. Apart from the Frankfurt Book Fair, the most Slovenian children’s and youth literature publishers present themselves at the Bologna Children's Book Fair.

The panel discussion at the Bologna Children's Book Fair 2025 about the EU funding opportunities for literature and publishing sector.

Slovenian Presence in Bologna

Showcasing Slovenian Publishers

Following last year’s honorary guest appearance of Slovenia (a role assumed this year by Estonia and next year by Norway), and with the hope that this exposure will bear fruit in the coming years, contemporary Slovenian book production was also showcased at this year’s fair. The presentation and support for domestic publishers entering foreign markets is provided by the Slovenian Book Agency, which organises the Slovenian national stand. Within this framework, publishers Malinc, Miš, Pivec, Sanje and Sodobnost International were present, while Mladinska knjiga and Morfem participated with their own independent exhibition spaces.

Beyond book rights sales, the fair provides opportunities for networking with editors and literary agents from across the globe, as well as for engaging in international initiatives such as Publishers Without Borders, which was established during the pandemic and celebrated its fifth anniversary in Bologna this year.

International projects play an important role in the internationalisation of the Slovenian literary sector as they enable long-term cooperation, knowledge exchange and access to foreign markets. The support of the Creative Europe programme is key for the realisation of such initiatives, an importance that was also underlined during this year’s discussions in Bologna.

International Projects by Slovenian Organisations

Two Slovenian publishers actively showcased their European-funded projects during the discussion “Creative Europe: EU Funding Opportunities for Literature and Publishing Sector” organised by Creative Europe Desks from Italy, Portugal and Slovenia.

At the Bologna Children's Book Fair 2025, Alenka Urh, Sodobnost International Cultural Society, and Mateja Lazar, Motovila Institute, participated on the panel on European projects for the circulation of literary works.

The projects Connecting the Worlds and Connected with Books by Sodobnost International promote the reading of high-quality European literature, with a particular focus on works from lesser-used languages. Among the publisher’s most well-known international initiatives is Our Little Library, dedicated to fostering reading literacy among children.

Malinc presented GG4A: Innovative Intercultural Reading Promotion, employing gamification to foster reading among teens. One of the project’s partners is also Sodobnost International, underscoring the importance of collaboration within the publishing sector even at the national level.

At the Bologna Children's Book Fair 2025, Barbara Pregelj from the Malinc Publishing House presented GG4A: Innovative Intercultural Reading Promotion, employing gamification to foster reading among teenagers.

In the frame of "ThinkPub presents: Digital Challenges and Solutions for Smaller Book Markets", Beletrina introduced ThinkPub, addressing digital challenges facing the European literary sector. Through advanced digital tools, the project strengthens the competencies of small and medium-sized publishers in smaller markets.

In the field of promoting the circulation of gender positive children’s literature, notable initiatives were presented during the discussion "In search for books free of stereotype threat: the European G-BOOK projects", with the Ljubljana City Library participating as a project partner. Two of the projects have resulted in the first European bibliography focused on gender positive literature, targeting children aged 3–10 and 11–14. A third initiative centres on young readers aged 15–18, supporting the transnational circulation of gender positive literature across the EU.

At the Bologna Children's Book Fair 2025, the Ljubljana City Library participates in the discussion "In search for books free of stereotype threat: the European G-BOOK projects", highlighting gender positive literature.

Seeking to encourage active inclusion and address contemporary questions, elevate reading culture in different age groups and support European cooperation, these initiatives highlight Slovenia’s active engagement, innovation and relevance in Europe’s literary and cultural scene.

Slovenian Creators Receive International Recognition

The successful entry of several Slovenian publishers into international markets in recent years with their original publications is evidenced by numerous nominations, awards and the inclusion of these works in prestigious international selections. Among the 11 awards bestowed within the frame of the Bologna Children's Book Fair, the most notable ones include:

Bologna Prize for the Best Children’s Publisher of the Year (BOP) recognising the best publishers worldwide;
BolognaRagazzi Award for the best-illustrated children’s books;
BolognyRagazzi CrossMedia Award for the best publishing projects that expand their narrative across different media;
Strega Prize Ragazze e Ragazzi – the children’s section of Italy’s most prominent award for literature.

Slovenia featured prominently this year: Tanja Skale, editor of Stripburger, served on the 3-member jury for the BolognaRagazzi Awards in the comics category (BRAW Comics 2025). Books by Slovenian authors Žiga X Gombač and Feri Lainšček were recognised among the best-illustrated books worldwide. Out of 3,858 submitted book titles from 68 countries and regions, 150 titles from 47 countries made it onto the prestigious BRAW Amazing Bookshelf list, among them the picture book Očka me slišiš?by Žiga X Gombač, illustrated by Igor Šinkovec. In the special category of this award, dedicated this year to sustainable development, the book Družina by Feri Lainšček, illustrated by Marta Bartolj, was also recognized. Both works are from Miš Publishing House.

The two most prestigious international awards in the field of children's and youth literature are undoubtedly the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA) and the Hans Christian Andersen Award. The ALMA is awarded annually by the Swedish Arts Council to authors, illustrators, storytellers and reading promoters. This year's laureate, French author Marion Brunet, was announced via live broadcast from Stockholm and at the Bologna Children's Book Fair. Among 265 candidates from 72 countries, Slovenian authors and illustrators Andreja Peklar and Maja Kastelic, as well as authors Boris A. Novak, Ismet Bekrić and Peter Svetina, were also nominated. Svetina has already been a finalist for the Hans Christian Andersen Award twice, which underscores the international recognition of the quality of his work.

The Hans Christian Andersen Award is given biennially by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) to authors and illustrators for their lifetime achievements. During an IBBY press conference at the fair, nominees for 2026 were introduced. The Slovene Section of IBBY nominated author Anja Štefan and illustrator Alenka Sottler, who has now been nominated for the third time. To date, only Peter Svetina and Marija Lucija Stupica have advanced as finalists.

IBBY was also actively present in Bologna with other events and activities. Visitors at their exhibition booth could explore this year’s Selection of Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities, including Past v razredu by Žiga Valetič, illustrated by Jaka Vukotič (Miš). IBBY Europe organised the conference "Books make a difference! Children’s right to read in challenging times". Additionally, under the organization of Bookbird, IBBY's quarterly professional journal, a discussion was held on the role of nonfiction in children’s literature. The debate focused on why nonfiction, despite a rise in high-quality publications, still remains peripheral in literary discourse. Among those contributing was Tina Bilban, a researcher at the Nova revija Institute.

Illustration Takes Center Stage

One of the most iconic features of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair is its prestigious Illustrators Exhibition, which, since 1967, has traced the development of book illustration and become a global platform for showcasing the finest illustrations from around the world, as well as for shaping and presenting new trends. Participation represents both a valuable opportunity for young illustrators and a special recognition for established creators.

For this year’s Illustrators Exhibition, a record 4,374 illustrators from 89 countries and regions submitted 21,870 illustrations. Following the selection of finalists, the international jury ultimately chose 76 sets of illustrations by 77 artists from 29 countries and regions, underscoring the exhibition’s exceptional selectivity. The chosen works were published in the Illustrators Annual, which is issued in multiple languages and distributed to specialized international bookstores. Although no Slovenian illustrators were featured this year, Ana Maraž represented Slovenia last year with her illustrations in the picture book Protideževna juha by Majda Koren (Sodobnost).

The fair further supports emerging illustrators whose works are selected for the exhibition with a prize awarded to artists under 35, as well as a scholarship for those under 30. The popular Illustrators Wall also offers an opportunity to showcase young talent; this year, with over 1,000 participating illustrators, it will be accessible in virtual form until 30 September 2025.

Translators as Bridges of Cultural Exchange

Transnational circulation of literature and international cooperation would, of course, be unimaginable without translators, who play an essential role in the cultural and creative sectors. The European report Translators on the Cover is dedicated to strengthening the European translation sector. It emphasizes the need for increased public funding for translation projects and offers recommendations to public institutions on promoting translation and European books, as well as proposals to improve translators’ working conditions.

The report was the primary focus of the round table organised by the General Directorate of the European Commission for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture and moderated by Francesca Novajra, president of the European Council of Literary Translators' Associations (CEATL). CEATL is researching and critically following the use of generative AI in publishing and has already issued a statement demanding transparency and legal protection, warning about the degradation of language with the use of AI and emphasising human creativity.

Slovenia’s presence at the fair was further enriched by members of the Slovenian Association of Literary Translators (DSKP), a CEATL member that actively supports these principles. Among them was Julija Potrč Šavli, an exceptional translator from Estonian, Finnish and English into Slovenian. Thanks to her work, literature from Estonia, this year’s honorary guest country, is also accessible to Slovenian readers.

Panel discussion "Putting Literary Translation and Translated Literature in the Spotlight: Translators on the Cover" at the 2025 Bologna Children's Book Fair.

Cross-Sector Opportunities

Literary works and their characters increasingly find new life today in animated films, series, games and transmedia projects. The Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids, now in its 18th edition, fosters essential connections across sectors. In addition to networking opportunities with publishers, the "International Kids Licensing Days" conference is a key event for professionals working in this field or involved more broadly in the children’s content industry. This three-day programme, organised in collaboration with Licensing Magazine, covers topics from licensing to publishing and from audiovisual content to gaming, with an emphasis on current trends.

Among the fair’s major innovations this year was the Games Business Centre, developed in cooperation with the Frankfurt Book Fair. Alongside the TV/Film Rights Centre, this platform notably boosted cross-sector collaboration. Over 600 business meetings between publishers and professionals from the film and video game industries confirm a significant interest in developing content from books to screens.

Slovenia offers several noteworthy examples of literature-inspired animations. The Slovenian Film Database lists 30 animated short or feature-length children’s films and TV episodes adapted from literary works. Among the earliest animated films is Zvezdica zaspanka (1965); another significant mention is the Vesna award-winning Cipercoper (2014). An older, well-known animated series is Marjan Manček’s Hribci (1993), while a recent addition is the miniseries Maček Muri, which revitalises the visual portrayal of Kajetan Kovič’s classic characters.

From paper to screen, from illustration to interactive experiences, the Bologna Children's Book Fair is a crucial hub connecting the literary sector with other creative industries. In this richly interconnected international environment, Slovenian publishers, writers, illustrators and translators successfully strengthen their visibility, while opportunities also remain open for Slovenian creators in film and audiovisual media.

The Bologna Children's Book Fair remains pivotal in sparking new collaborations, projects and breakthroughs – stay tuned for future developments in Slovenia from this event!

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