Culture Ireland is once again supporting the Ireland stand at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair this year, delivered by Children’s Books Ireland. This is the 13th year of the Irish stand at the Book Fair, which is the main European meeting point for writers and the publishing industry creating literary works for younger audiences. The title of the Ireland stand this year is A Nation of Storytellers/Tír na Scéalta.
The Bologna Children’s Book Fair is an industry leading event that brings together a unique and diverse global audience for the past 63 years. It is the world’s premium copyright exchange hub for children’s publishing and extends to current multimedia/licensing businesses for children’s stories, illustration, animation and related areas. Publishers, illustrators, graphic designers, agents, authors, translators, literature organisations, mobile developers, licensors and licensees, packagers, printers, distributors, audiobook professionals, booksellers, brands, librarians, booksellers and teachers flock to the event to experience the world of books in thousands of booths across six huge halls.
As well as supporting the stand, Culture Ireland also provides funding to independent Irish publishers and exhibitors to attend the prestigious event. The 2026 delegation includes:
- Futa Fata Teo
- Little Island Books
- M.H.Gill & Co.
- IBBY IRELAND
- Picnic Press
- The O’Brien Press Ltd.
Children’s Books Ireland is the national charity and arts organisation that champions every child’s right to develop a love of reading. Their mission is to inspire a love of reading in children and young people in Ireland, to share our expertise and enthusiasm with the adults who guide and influence them, to champion every child’s right to excellent books and live literature events and support the artists who make that goal possible across the island of Ireland.
Further details on the work of Children’s Books Ireland can be found here. The Bologna Children’s Book Fair runs from 13 – 16 April 2026, and the full programme of events can be viewed here.
Photo:
Tatyana Feeney (author & illustrator), Dermot Flynn (illustrator), Margaret Anne Suggs (author & illustrator), Paul Nugent (author & illustrator), Sadhbh Devlin (author), Gerry Daly (author & illustrator), Úna Woods (author & illustrator), Alan O’Rourke (author & illustrator), Jamie Carroll (author & illustrator), Conor Fagan (Consul, Cultural Attaché and Head of Administration, Embassy of Ireland, Italy), Mark Hill (illustrator), Frank Bradley (Deputy Consul General, Consulate General of Milan, Italy), Ashwin Chacko (author & illustrator & publisher), Jonathan Sung (author & illustrator), Elaina Ryan (CEO, Children’s Books Ireland)
