Impressions from Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2025
A little late for an update. But oh well. I thought I'd share it anyway 😁
It’s hard to believe it’s already been a month.
In early April, I travelled with my husband Coen to the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, the international event for children’s book creators, publishers and illustrators. It was my second time visiting the fair. The first time was back in 2012, when I went to beautiful Italy with Marloes de Vries.
I remember the fair being huge even then. It was so big that I got properly lost more than once. When we set foot on the grounds this year, it felt like it had grown even more. And maybe it really has. (After all, 13 years have passed.) Thankfully, with the Bologna app, I managed to find my way reasonably well this time.
It’s always good times with Lemniscaat
The fair was once again incredibly impressive. It felt a bit surreal to walk around there, surrounded by an abundance of books, colour and creativity.
This year, Coen and I helped out at the stand of Dutch publisher Lemniscaat, where we joined the wonderful publishing team: Robin, Anna and Jean-Christophe.
We arrived early on set-up day and helped get the stand ready. There were quite a few banners to hang, and Coen did a great job on the side wall where the illustrations of the Picture This! 2024 winners were displayed (more on that in a bit).
During the fair, we occasionally jumped in to refill the card display or stick a poster back in place. And Coen made sure there were enough drinks to go around.
Of course, we also had plenty of time to wander around, admire all the amazing picture books and meet up with lovely people. And of course, there were a few appointments at Lemniscaat, too.
I sat down with Robin for a meeting with my French publisher Bayard. Later, we had a lovely chat with an interested publisher from Brazil, and I heard there was interest from a Japanese publisher as well (although I wasn’t there for that one myself).
It still feels quite special to me, realizing that my work is being seen all over the world.
Reviewing portfolios
On the last day of the fair, I did portfolio reviews at the Lemniscaat stand, together with Ellen Vesters, founder of the Dutch Venster Academy for artists. These sessions were part of the lead-up to the Picture This! competition, for which I’ll be on the jury in July. (You can read more about that in this blog post.)
This was my very first time doing portfolio reviews. Ellen kindly invited me to join her for the first session, which was not only really fun but also a great learning experience. After that, I felt confident enough to continue on my own.
I have to admit I was a bit nervous at first. I mean, you want to give these (sometimes just starting out) illustrators solid advice and help them on their way. But in the end, it turned out to be a really positive experience, and it was inspiring to see the work of so many passionate young illustrators.
Seeing Bologna & meeting colleagues
How nice it was to have Coen with me! It was actually his first time in Italy. We had found a cozy little apartment within walking distance of the fair, which was about a 30-minute stroll. It was the perfect way to start the day. Of course, we also made time to explore the city: wandering through the streets, eating at small restaurants, and of course, having at least one gelato per day. (Well, we tried to, anyway.)🍦
When we were at the fair, we met many familiar and new faces. We had tea with the lovely (and colourful) illustrator Emma Jayne and her husband, and caught up with Mark Janssen, Suzanne Diederen, and their creative daughter. We also met Stern Nijland, Linda de Haan, Mathilde Stein, and many other wonderful people from the industry, though I only had time to chat with most of them for a brief moment. But every little moment was precious.
In the evenings, we hung out with Robin and Jean-Christophe a couple of times, who knew the best places to get wonderful Italian food. On the last evening, after wrapping up the fair, we met up and had dinner with my friend and American agent Jennifer Nelson, her fellow agent Shannon McNab, and illustrator Rosie Dore. It was so nice to end the week this way, together.
I returned with a head full of impressions and beautiful memories, and I’m incredibly grateful for it.
Who knows, maybe there will be a next time.
PS: Under the motto ‘Linking is Fun,’ here’s a list of the talented illustrators and art agents I mentioned in my blog:
Jennifer Nelson Artists (art agency)
With love,
