Bologna bound

Eleven independent publishers, 15 children’s book creators and one children’s laureate will set up shop at the collective Australian stand at this year’s Bologna Children’s Book Fair.

The publishers represented on the ‘Hello! From Australia’ stand are: Affirm Press, Allen & Unwin, Berbay Publishing, EK Books, Five Mile, Kids Own Publishing, MidnightSun, Quirky Kid, Scribble, University of Queensland Press and Windy Hollow Books (along with a local representative from Penguin Random House). A selection of children’s and YA titles from these and other Australian publishers can be found in the ‘Hello! From Australia’ catalogue.

Australia’s newest children’s laureate Maurice Gleitzman will also be based at the stand, while some of Australia’s finest children’s book creators will spend time showing off their wares. They are: Davina Bell, Jonathan Bentley, Allison Colpoys, Katrina Fisher, Jane Godwin, Mark Greenwood, Ann James, Jane Jolly, Frané Lessac, Alison Lester, Antonia Pesenti, Michael Wagner, Anna Walker, Gabrielle Wang and Ruth Waters.

Moving on from Bologna to China, last year, Brio Books associate publisher Alice Grundy travelled to China to attend the China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair. She writes about the country’s emerging children’s book market here.

Finally, a number of Australian publishers have recently announced moves into children’s publishing. Wakefield Press will launch a dedicated YA list this year; Transit Lounge has acquired world rights to its first children’s title; and Affirm Press has engaged international agency Rights People to represent its growing kids list. On top of that, an Australian book has been chosen as one of the launch titles for the new Oxford-based children’s publisher Guppy Books.

Andrea Hanke
Editor
Think Australian
andrea@booksandpublishing.com.au

Category: Think Junior editorial