Bookstorm—Nigerian illustration push

A children’s book project in Nigeria is trying to fix a simple problem: too many books sold to Nigerian kids still look and sound imported, while Bookstorm is training local writers and illustrators to make stories rooted in Nigerian life. The project was launched by Lola Shoneyin and grew out of a partnership with the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in Italy. (publishingperspectives.com) Bookstorm is only about two years old, but it already has a concrete target: publish 100 culturally significant children’s books by 2027. Its stated focus is books that reflect Nigerian experiences, identities, and everyday realities. (bookstorm.ng) The first version looked less like a publishing house and more like a training camp. In partnership with the Bologna Children’s Book Fair and Mimaster Illustrazione Milan, Bookstorm ran a 10-week illustration course for 16 Nigerian artists. (bookstorm.ng) That course was built around one real story, not abstract exercises. Participants created portfolio work for a book called *Zizah is Different*, about a neurodivergent Nigerian boy and his family, and the strongest illustrators were then invited to show their work at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. (bookstorm.ng) That Bologna link matters because the fair is one of the biggest global marketplaces for children’s publishing and illustration. The 2026 fair runs from April 13 to April 16 in Bologna, and its Illustrators Exhibition alone drew 4,158 illustrators from 95 countries and regions this year. (bolognachildrensbookfair.com 1) (bolognachildrensbookfair.com 2) Bookstorm’s pitch is not just “more books,” but better local fit. Its public materials say Nigerian children should be able to find books with familiar names, settings, family structures, and social realities instead of seeing themselves mainly through imported templates. (bookstorm.ng) (bookbuzzfoundation.org) The project has widened beyond that first illustration class. Book Buzz Foundation says Bookstorm now provides hands-on training, workshops, peer collaboration, and mentorship for both emerging writers and illustrators working on children’s books. (bookbuzzfoundation.org) There is now outside funding behind the bigger plan. A related program called the Nigerian Picture Book Project, backed by the European Union and launched in October 2025, is designed to train and support 40 Nigerian creatives aged 21 to 30. (guardian.ng) (bookbuzzfoundation.org) What makes this story bigger than one workshop is the supply chain it is trying to build from scratch. Instead of waiting for foreign publishers to decide what Nigerian children should read, Bookstorm is trying to train the illustrator, develop the writer, make the book, and then carry that work into an international rights market like Bologna. (publishingperspectives.com) (bookstorm.ng) If it works, the visible change will be small and immediate: more picture books on Nigerian shelves where the houses, clothes, food, speech, and family rhythms feel local instead of borrowed. The less visible change is that a Nigerian illustrator who once needed an overseas break first may now have a route from training in Lagos or Abeokuta to a portfolio seen in Bologna. (publishingperspectives.com) (bookstorm.ng)