Bologna Children's Book Fair 2027

The Bologna Children's Book Fair, widely known as the Bologna Book Fair, is the world's most important trade fair for children's publishing, and its 64th edition takes place at BolognaFiere from 5 to 8 April 2027. Publishers, agents, illustrators, authors, translators and librarians from around the world meet in Bologna to buy and sell rights, discover new talent and see where picture books are heading. Poland is the Guest of Honour.

For illustrators, it is the most important week of the year: the place to show your portfolio to art directors, see the Illustrators Exhibition and meet the people who commission picture books.

About the Bologna Book Fair

The fair was first held in 1964 and is organised by BolognaFiere. It runs alongside BolognaBookPlus, a fair for the wider publishing industry, and the Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids. The 2026 edition welcomed 32,652 trade visitors and 1,540 exhibitors, with around 600 events over four days.

The Bologna Book Fair is a professional event: the halls are filled with publishers' stands, where rights are negotiated and illustrators line up for portfolio reviews.

What to Expect

• Illustrators Exhibition: the fair's famous annual show of unpublished illustration, selected by an international jury from thousands of entries; the 2027 selection will be the 61st
• The BolognaRagazzi Award (BRAW), honouring the best children's books of the year, with a new "Scribbles & Drawings" category in 2027
• The Illustrators Wall, where illustrators pin up their cards and samples for art directors
• Illustrators Café and Survival Corner: talks, workshops and advice sessions on contracts, portfolios and careers
• Guest of Honour exhibition presenting Polish children's books and illustration
• Translators Café, a programme for literary translators

2027 Programme

The fair runs from Monday 5 to Thursday 8 April 2027. The full schedule of talks and portfolio sessions is published in the weeks before the event. If you want to be part of the Illustrators Exhibition, the call for entries closes on 31 October 2026; selected illustrators are shown at the fair and in the exhibition catalogue. Entries for the BolognaRagazzi Award close on 20 January 2027.

Who Is It For?

• Picture book illustrators looking for publishers and agents
• Authors and author-illustrators of children's books
• Art directors, editors and rights managers from publishing houses
• Translators of children's literature
• Illustration students preparing to enter the industry

The fair is not aimed at families: it is a trade event, and children are not its audience.

Tickets

Tickets for 2027 have not been published yet. As a guide, in 2026 a one-day ticket cost €50 (€58 from mid-February) and a four-day pass €106 (€130 later), with a cheaper ticket on the last afternoon. Illustrators and translators pay reduced prices, €25 for one day, €50 for two days and €64 for four days, using a personal code requested from the Visitors Area of the official site. Illustrators selected for the Illustrators Exhibition get a free ticket.

Tips for Illustrators

Most illustrators come to the fair to show their work to publishers, and preparation makes a real difference. Before you travel, research which publishers make books close to your style, and check whether they accept portfolio reviews at the fair or only by appointment. Prepare a short, focused portfolio of 10 to 15 pieces, ideally including a sequence that shows you can tell a story across several pages and draw the same character consistently.

The Illustrators Wall is one of the fair's traditions: illustrators pin up posters, cards and samples with their contact details, and art directors browse it during the day. Bring plenty of printed cards, and come back to refresh your space, as walls fill up quickly.

Don't miss the Illustrators Exhibition itself. Studying the selected works, and the jury's choices, is one of the best ways to understand what publishers and judges look for. If you plan to enter next year's call, visiting the exhibition first will help you choose your strongest pieces.

Things to Know

• Book early: reduced tickets go up after the early-bird deadline, and hotels in Bologna fill up fast.
• Portfolio: bring a compact printed portfolio and plenty of postcards or business cards for the Illustrators Wall.
• Reviews: many publishers only see illustrators at set times or by appointment; check each stand's policy.
• Getting there: BolognaFiere is about 15 minutes from the city centre by bus; Bologna airport has direct flights from across Europe.
• Pace: four days is long; plan the stands you want to visit each day.

Attend the Bologna Book Fair 2027

Planning a visit?

Visit the Bologna Children's Book Fair

Tickets, the exhibitor list and the full programme are on the official Bologna Children's Book Fair website.

Looking for more to see? Browse all events, festivals and exhibitions on Good Stuff Weekly.

Last verified: October 19, 2026