Bologna fair shows resilience
Attendees at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair were described as trying to 'weather challenges as a community' despite poor weather and a gloomy political backdrop, a signal that the spring book-fair circuit is still functioning as a confidence-building space for publishers. Coverage framed the mood as cautious but active among industry participants. (publishersweekly.com)
The Bologna Children’s Book Fair opened in Bologna on April 13 with publishers still doing business, even as rain and political anxiety hung over the week. (publishersweekly.com) The 63rd edition ran April 13-16 and again bundled three events under one roof: the children’s fair, BolognaBookPlus for general publishing, and the Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids. Norway was the 2026 guest of honor. (bolognawelcome.com) Publishers Weekly reported that attendees described the mood as communal and practical, with meetings, rights conversations, and scouting continuing despite the downbeat backdrop. Its April 15 on-site coverage said participants were trying to “weather challenges as a community.” (publishersweekly.com) Bologna is one of the book business’s main spring marketplaces, especially for children’s rights, illustration, and licensing. The city’s tourism office said the 2026 fair was built around publishing rights, licensing, illustration, and audiovisual deals. (bolognawelcome.com) The fair’s scale helps explain why the industry watches its mood so closely. Publishing Perspectives, citing 2025 fair figures, said last year’s event drew 33,318 publishing professionals, 1,577 exhibitors, and delegates from 95 countries. (publishingperspectives.com) This year’s program showed that companies were still investing time in future-facing topics rather than retreating to basics. Publishers Weekly’s event guide listed sessions on translation, audiobooks, licensing, literacy, and artificial intelligence, alongside the opening ceremony on April 13. (publishersweekly.com) Illustration remained central to the fair’s identity. Publishing Perspectives said more than 4,000 illustrators from 96 countries submitted work for the 2026 Illustrators Exhibition, which marked its 60th anniversary this year. (publishingperspectives.com) The fair also kept broadening beyond children’s books without dropping that core. BolognaBookPlus described itself as the general-trade program inside the fair, focused on translation and illustration in general publishing. (bolognachildrensbookfair.com) That mix — rights trading, illustration talent, and adjacent businesses like licensing and audiovisual — is what kept the halls active in a rough week. By mid-April, the message from Bologna was not exuberance, but turnout. (publishersweekly.com)
