Estonia – Guest of Honour at the 62. Bologna International Children's Book Fair, March 31 – April 3, 2025

The Bologna Children's Book Fair (BCBF) is the oldest and largest event dedicated to children's literature, bringing together thousands of children's book creators and industry professionals from around the world each spring. The fair has two main focuses: showcasing the cultural diversity of children's literature and the latest trends in illustration, and fostering business opportunities by connecting authors, agents, and publishers. BCBF is primarily a picture book fair, emphasizing illustration and book artistry, and is open exclusively to professionals—children and families, the primary audience of children's books, are not part of this event.

Estonia has participated in BCBF for 15 years, aiming to introduce our original children's literature to the world and establish collaborations with international publishers. Estonia’s presence at the fair has been organised by the Estonian Publishers’ Association and the Estonian Children's Literature Centre, with support from the Ministry of Culture.

Each year, one country is chosen as the Guest of Honour, giving it a unique opportunity to present its children's literature to industry professionals and the local public. For the first time, Estonia will take on this prestigious role in spring 2025. This status provides us with a main stage presence and heightened visibility, offering an opportunity to showcase Estonian children's literature and its creators. Our activities will extend beyond the fair itself to the wider city of Bologna, as we participate in the BOOM! Crescere nei Libri festival.

We believe Estonia has much to offer the world: our contemporary children's literature is fresh, thought-provoking, and visually diverse, with a strong artistic identity and high production quality. This is reflected in our growing international collaborations, with over 40 Estonian children's books published in foreign languages each year.

Estonia’s Guest of Honour programme at the fair will feature more than 25 events, including illustration and book exhibitions, author talks, discussions, and workshops. At the heart of the Estonian presence is the "Hello! Tere!" exhibition in the main fair hall, showcasing the work of 40 active Estonian book illustrators—a mix of well-established masters and rising talents who have quickly gained international recognition. The exhibition will be complemented by video presentations, a catalogue, postcards, and a display of books created by the featured artists. Estonia’s stand at the fair will present a diverse selection of books, ranging from classics and award-winning titles to the latest releases, representing nearly 100 Estonian authors and illustrators.

Bologna's city residents will also experience Estonian illustration through a curated exhibition led by Bianka Soe. This dynamic, interactive display will highlight the versatility of Estonian illustrators and animators, inviting viewers to see that images are not confined to book covers or gallery walls—they can exist everywhere around us, independently or in creative dialogue with characters from other books, forming new stories. The city exhibition will have a playful and multifaceted atmosphere, reflecting the vibrant nature of Estonian illustration today. Following BCBF, the exhibition will tour Estonia and international venues.

To explore the full Guest of Honour programme, visit: estonia2025bologna.com.

See you in Bologna in spring 2025!

Triin Soone, Head of the Bologna 2025 Team