Bologna Children's Book Fair 2027

The Bologna Children's Book Fair is the leading international meeting point for children's and young adult publishing, and has been held annually at BolognaFiere for more than six decades. It is organised by BolognaFiere with the support of the Italian Trade Agency and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The fair's business is rights, talent and cross-media storytelling. Exhibitors include children's publishers, literary agencies, packagers, illustrators' agencies, digital content producers and licensing companies from around the world. The audience is professional: editors, rights managers, agents, illustrators, authors, translators, licensors, producers and developers, who arrive with full diaries of meetings.

Two long-running features keep the creative spotlight on Bologna. The Illustrators Exhibition presents a juried selection of new illustration and has been staged for more than half a century, while the BolognaRagazzi Awards recognise outstanding children's books. A crossmedia award covers adaptations from books to other media, and a guest of honour country is invited each year.

The fair has grown beyond children's books. BolognaBookPlus brings adult trade publishing into the same week, and the Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids covers brand licensing and transmedia, so exhibitors can meet a wider range of partners in one trip. Most business happens around a table, which makes meeting space the main priority for a stand, followed by face-out shelving and large-format artwork that show off illustration and design quality.