What would spring be without a trip to Italy for the Bologna Book Fair, the only international rights fair dedicated soley to children's and YA books? Publishers, agents, scouts, authors and illustrators from all over the world gather in this beautiful city for four days to proudly present their latest releases, reconnect with industry friends, and pitch, persuade, listen, review, oogle, covet, poo poo, and generally buy and sell rights to publish books from other countries. What fun.
The photo here shows the entrance to the fair, which this year featured Korea as Guest of Honour. In addition to several halls of publisher booths, the fair also hosts an Illustrators Exhibition, designated areas for literary agents, translators, tv/film producers, and other specialized fields within the biz.
For Annick, the fair was again a success, with international editors praising the innovation and originality of Annick books. But the hard work begins now as materials are sent out for review so editors can mull over these books in more detail and decide whether or not to make an offer for rights to publish their own edition of the book. Stay tuned for news... !!!
But wait! Before we go, we must share a true Italian delight - parmiggiano:
