The 62th Bologna Children’s Book Fair https://www.bolognachildrensbookfair.com/home/878.html is scheduled from March 31 to April 3 in the halls of BolognaFiere. The fair will be held together with BolognaBookPlus https://www.bolognachildrensbookfair.com/about/bolognabookplus/10630.htm , reserved for generalist publishing and in collaboration with Associazione Italiana Editori, and Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids https://www.bolognachildrensbookfair.com/about/bologna-licensing-trade-fair-kids/10822.html , dedicated to children’s trade brands.
Over time, the three Bologna events have become an ecosystem that grows across all sectors of publishing and beyond. In fact, the fair’s business offerings are once again expanding, with new areas developed to intercept evolving market segments and opening wider possibilities for exhibitors and visitors to develop publishing properties in new media.
Estonia Guest of Honor Country 2025
Expected at the 62th Bologna Children’s Book Fair , about 1,500 exhibitors from 90 countries and regions. New entries include Albania, Azerbaijan, Iceland, Madagascar, Malta, North Macedonia, and Peru.
Following last year’s inauguration of the Tv/Film Rights Centre, dedicated to the transmigration of stories and characters from books to films, series and audiovisual formats, and vice versa, the 2025 edition will welcome the Games Business Centre, in collaboration with the Frankfurt Buchmesse and dedicated to gaming professionals on the hunt for narratives to turn into video games.
Guest Country of Honor 2025 Estonia, a small country with a vibrant and dynamic publishing market, capable of offering high quality content spanning various genres. A publishing industry that plays above all a significant role in the preservation of Estonian culture, language and national identity, and that in the opportunity offered by the 62th Bologna Children’s Book Fair sees an opportunity for visibility and openness to international markets.
Indeed, Estonia will also be the focus of BolognaBookPlus’ Market of Honour, and the Talking Pictures competition dedicated to picture book design.
Pippi Longstocking’s 80th birthday
2025 is also a year of anniversaries for BCBF, which will celebrate with Altan the 50th anniversary of Pimpa, companion to generations of boys and girls. While Pippi Longstocking blows out 80 candles this year and will be featured on a panel with Donatella Di Pietrantonio. The anniversaries also affect the fair’s projects. Such as the BolognaRagazzi Awards, established to highlight the most beautiful and innovative picture books internationally, which are 60 years old. By contrast, ten candles have been blown out by the Strega Ragazze e Ragazzi prize.
Exhibitors at the 62th Bologna Children’s Book Fair include 70 years of Feltrinelli, 40 of Libro Game, 35 of the Mondadori ‘Leggere le figure’ series, 25 of Babalibri, Lapis and Geronimo Stilton. A birth will also be celebrated. That of the ‘Children’s Memory’ series of the historic Sellerio editions open to children’s books.