Berbay Books founder and publishing director Alexandra Yatomi-Clarke is set to visit Bologna for the 12th time. ‘Bologna is a key event on our calendar,’ she says. ‘For me, it’s an essential event for rights selling.’

At UQP, second-time attendee Erin Sandiford – the publisher’s rights and contracts manager – agrees. ‘I would hope for three to four deals directly out of the book fair, which we achieved last year, as well as pitching/networking meetings that lead to more deals later in the year. In total, I would hope to make at least fifteen individual rights sales for our children’s list in 2025.’

Beyond rights sales, Yatomi-Clarke says, ‘Bologna is about reconnections – catching up with agents, publishers, scouts and editors, while also forging new relationships. It’s an opportunity to see global trends firsthand and create new collaborations.’

Berbay and UQP will be among nine publishers hosted on the Australian Collective Stand at Bologna this year. (You can find the Australian stand at Hall 25, Stand A87.) Meanwhile, other Australian publishers and agents are attending on their own company stands, or as individuals. There are also many Australian creators attending Bologna in 2025: look out for Marc Martin, who has been selected for the 2025 Illustrators Exhibition, and for Australia’s current children’s laureate Sally Rippin, who will be speaking at the Australia party, to be held 1 April at 5pm.

For insights into what Australian publishers are looking to acquire at Bologna 2025, see our feature on several of those attending. We also ask attending publishers to name the one title in each category that they had the highest hopes for in terms of international interest at the fair. See their picks in picture books, junior and middle grade fiction, YA and nonfiction.

We also catch you up on the latest trends in the Australian market, round up recent children’s and YA award winners, and share the latest bestsellers for the year to date.

Australians are back in Bologna in force this year, finding that Zoom and email alone don’t cut it. As Scribble publisher and art director Miriam Rosenbloom explains: ‘The fair provides crucial face-to-face networking with international peers, the discovery of illustration talent, insights into industry trends, and of course the inevitable spritz and gelato!’

We hope you enjoy all of the above!

Matthia Dempsey
Editor

Overall, the book market was down in Australia in 2024, by 3% in value and 1.2% in volume, according to figures from Nielsen BookData’s BookScan service.

Nielsen’s 2024 snapshot, which covered 31 December 2023 to 28 December 2024, showed the Australian market for the period was worth A$1.29 billion in value, down from A$1.33 billion in 2023. Sales by volume for 2024 totalled 69 million, down from 69.8 million the prior year, while the average selling price for the 2024 year was $18.69, down 1.8% on the previous year.

Homing in on Christmas, Nielsen data showed that, while the Christmas 2024 period was slightly up by value compared to Christmas 2023, sales in the children’s category were down by both volume (-4.4%, at 4.5 million) and value (-1.8%, at $54.9 million) for the four weeks to Christmas 2024. In the same period in 2023, children’s sales were worth 4.7 million in volume and $55.9 million in value.

For the 2024 year overall, Nielsen’s snapshot showed the top three growth categories for the year were humour, trivia and puzzles; food and drink; and genre fiction.

Sales for the year included titles across more than 757,460 unique ISBNs; however, one author’s titles undeniably ruled the market in 2024: Nagi Maehashi took out both first and second place in the year’s bestseller lists with RecipeTin Eats: Tonight and RecipeTin Eats: Dinner (both Macmillan), respectively. Liane Moriarty’s Here One Moment (also Macmillan) took out third place in the year’s bestsellers. Meanwhile, Maehashi also topped the Christmas bestseller list, with RecipeTin Eats: Tonight beating the competition by a significant margin.

The highest-selling children’s titles for the Christmas 2024 period were Big Jim Begins (Dog Man #13) (Dav Pilkey, Scholastic), which reached number 4 in the overall Christmas bestsellers list, and Hot Mess (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #19) (Jeff Kinney, Puffin), which came in at number 10 overall. (Children’s favourite Guinness World Records 2025 placed ninth for Christmas.)

As in other markets, a sector that continues to grow in Australia is the adult fiction category, with Australian book buyers purchasing 18.5 million books at a value of $380 million for the year to 14 December 2024. This represented a 5.6% increase in volume and 7.3% uplift in value, translating to an additional 974,000 units and close to $26 million in books being purchased, compared to the same period in 2023, according to Nielsen.

As previously reported by Think Australian, Black Friday continues to change Australian shopping habits. Nielsen BookData reported that Black Friday–week sales in 2024 ‘saw volume sales in the Australian book market 40% higher than the average weekly sales in the four weeks prior’, with sales volume in the week of Black Friday up 4% compared to the week of the retail promotion in 2023.

‘Australian book buyers bought more than 2.05 million books during Black Friday week, spending more than $37 million, bringing 2024’s event to the second highest on record, behind 2020’s bumper sales,’ said Nielsen of data from the week ending 30 November 2024.

Said Nielsen BookData Australia general manager Bianca Whiteley of sales in 2024: ‘Although 2024 is a continued adjustment on record sales of recent years, Australian book buyers continue to turn to books as a source of information and escape, and perhaps a great budget-friendly gift choice.’

Top 10 Australian Christmas bestsellers list*, 2024

1. RecipeTin Eats: Tonight (Nagi Maehashi, Macmillan), 27,900 copies
2. Bake with Brooki (Brooke Bellamy, Penguin), 14,585 copies
3. The Voice Inside (John Farnham & Poppy Stockell, Hachette), 11,316 copies
4. Big Jim Begins (Dog Man #13) (Dav Pilkey, Scholastic), 11,306 copies
5. Here One Moment (Liane Moriarty, Macmillan), 10,448 copies
6. In Too Deep (Jack Reacher #29) (Lee Child & Andrew Child, Bantam), 9352 copies
7. RecipeTin Eats: Dinner (Nagi Maehashi, Macmillan), 8748 copies
8. Quicksilver (Callie Hart, Hodderscape), 7798 copies
9. Guinness World Records 2025 (Guinness World Records), 7501 copies
10. Hot Mess (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #19) (Jeff Kinney, Puffin), 6269 copies.

*Data sourced from Nielsen BookScan’s Australian Book Market panel, measuring print book sales in Australia through its defined panel. Period: 8 to 14 December 2024. 

We ask Australians attending Bologna this year what they are looking to acquire – and what they are expecting to talk about with fellow attendees.

Miriam Rosenbloom, publisher and art director at Scribe’s children’s imprint Scribble, has attended Bologna ‘irregularly since 2017’, most recently in 2024. This year’s fair will be her fifth visit to Bologna.

What are you looking to acquire?

The honest answer is I’ll know it when I see it! But, beyond that, fiction picture books with exceptional illustration that share universal truths or insights, narrative nonfiction illuminating underrepresented topics, early childhood books that play with form, and junior graphic novels with excellent art and engaging stories.

What will you be chatting about?

There are many things to be concerned about currently on a global level, but I imagine that the book-related chat will be about challenges in trade book sales, the potential impact of tariffs, rising production costs, and the continuing trend of acquisitions of independent publishers by larger publishing houses and conglomerates.

Melena Cole-Manolis (left) of Magabala Books will attend Bologna Children’s Book Fair for the second time, having made her first visit in 2024. She will be accompanied by Kate McCormack (right), who has attended ‘numerous times’.

What are you looking to acquire?

Magabala isn’t looking to acquire this year.

What will you be chatting about?

We’re looking forward to hearing from other industry professionals about their thoughts on AI generation, geo-politics, world politics, book bans, and what’s happening in different markets. We’re also looking forward to connecting with other international First Nations publishers again.

With her previous role being at an exclusively adult publishing house, Erin Sandiford, rights and contracts manager at UQP (left), only attended Bologna for the first time in 2024. ‘Excitingly, this year, UQP received Creative Australia funding for Cathy Vallance [right], our new(ish)ly appointed children’s publisher, to attend Bologna for the first time in her career, too.’

What are you looking to acquire?

Cathy Vallance: I’m hoping to find some fantastic, high-quality stories with a distinctive hook or unique point of view that will appeal to young readers in Australia.

What will you be talking about?

Erin Sandiford: AI! AI! AI! Especially when it comes to illustrator copyright, I think that is an interesting topic. As always, I will have discussions with our international network at Bologna that align with UQP’s broader values as well as my own. Specifically, I want to speak to Canadian publishers, particularly, about the lack of First Nations middle-grade fiction on the shelves in Australia, and also, I look forward to conversations about introducing younger readers to stories (both fiction and nonfiction) about the genocide in Gaza in safe and appropriate ways.

Cathy Vallance: I’m beyond excited to be attending my first-ever Bologna Children’s Book Fair. I’m looking forward to meeting up with publishing folk from around the world and discussing the issues facing the industry, such as AI, declining literacy rates, and how to make books more accessible.

Carey Schroeter, rights and international sales manager, books for children and young adults at Allen & Unwin, first attended Bologna in 2016, with this year to be her eighth attendance at the fair.

What are you looking to acquire?

I only sell rights, but we do have the lovely Anna McFarlane, publisher, books for children and young adults, attending. Anna is looking for outstanding new talent in both writing and illustration, especially in the narrative nonfiction category, where stories are told from fresh or new perspectives, as well as publishers’ real passion projects.  

What will you be chatting about?

International politics and its social and economic influence on local markets and reading choices.

Tash Besliev, publishing director, children’s at Simon & Schuster Australia (S&S), with responsibility for both S&S and Affirm Press titles, has attended Bologna ‘too many [times] to remember and bore you with’, most recently in 2024. This year, she will be attending with S&S Australia managing director Dan Ruffino.

What are you looking to acquire?

I’ll be on the lookout for middle-grade and teen/YA fiction and graphic novels, largely.

What are you hoping for at Bologna?

S&S and Affirm Press will be represented by the S&S foreign rights team, with Dan and I joining key meetings. I’m looking forward to meeting my new colleagues within the Simon & Schuster group and finding pathways for our Australian list through their networks, and I’m looking forward to seeing how our existing and new foreign publishing partners respond to our latest catalogue.

Cristina Pase, children’s publisher at Windy Hollow Books, will be attending Bologna for the fifth time, with her last attendance being in 2023. She says: ‘Although we have a great rights agent, it is so good to go to Bologna and establish relationships with other publishers, to understand their preferences and what is going on in their markets. As a publisher, I find it inspiring to see what other publishers are doing around the world and engage with how different markets manage challenges or opportunities – and to see if there are any ideas I can apply to my own publishing list.’

What are you looking to acquire?

Not acquiring.

What will you be chatting about?

Market decline; impact of economic and political instability on publishing.

Fiona Horman, managing director at Five Mile, first attended Bologna in 2024 – the first time Five Mile had its own stand at the fair (as part of the Australia Collective Stand). ‘We were welcomed warmly last year and made many new contacts around the world and signed seven deals from the show.’

Will you be acquiring at Bologna?

Yes, we look to acquire at all shows, as well to add to our range of children’s books.

What will you be chatting about?

We will be discussing what trends other publishers are seeing.

Alexandra Yatomi-Clarke, founder, managing director and publishing director at Berbay Books, will be attending Bologna for the 12th time, with her most recent visit being in 2024.

What are you looking to acquire?

We’re always on the lookout for something fresh, fun, and filled with hope – stories that stand out and bring a unique perspective to young readers.

What will you be chatting about?

A big conversation this year will be about nurturing creativity in an AI-driven world. How do we support and protect original storytelling and artistry in a rapidly evolving landscape? It’s a question that’s on everyone’s minds.

Picture credits: Photo of Erin Sandiford (cropped from original) by Darren James; photo of Cathy Vallance (cropped from original) by Bradley Kanaris.

Australian publishers at Bologna name the picture books they have the highest hopes for at the fair.

Alexandra Yatomi-Clarke, founder, managing director and publishing director at Berbay Books, will be attending Bologna for the 12th time in 2025. The book she’s most excited about? ‘Sea, the new picture book by John Canty – an extraordinary visual journey through the wonders of the ocean.’ Canty’s Heads and Tails series has sold multiple international rights and received several accolades, including one title being named a Children’s Book Council of Australia Honour Book and another named Speech Pathology Australia’s Book of the Year (in the birth to three years age category) and the Best International Picture Book at the China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair. ‘It has also been selected for the Victorian State Government’s Kinder Kit packs for 2024 and 2025,’ adds Yatomi-Clarke. ‘With such a strong track record, we’re thrilled to introduce Sea to international publishers.’

Miriam Rosenbloom, publisher and art director at Scribe’s children’s imprint Scribble, will attend Bologna for the fifth time for the 2025 fair. ‘It’s impossible to choose between two standouts we have this year!’ she tells Books+Publishing. ‘Internationally acclaimed illustrator Allison Colpoys has partnered with debut author Olivia Muscat for My Name Is Jemima, a day in the life of Olivia’s guide dog, brought to life with Allison’s trademark colour, humour and joy. Also generating excitement is Anna Walker’s second Scribble collaboration, the stunning Between – a poetic exploration of connection that uses innovative stencil techniques and three-Pantone printing to create a breathtaking visual journey between two unlikely companions.’

Hardie Grant rights manager Evie Green will be attending Bologna in person alongside Hardie Grant publisher Chren Byng. They have high hopes for Scotty and the Scotties (Gabriel Evans), which Hardie Grant publisher Marisa Pintado promises ‘will have the whole family poring over the pages to find the “real” Scotty in every scene’. ‘The kind-hearted and inclusive premise rings even sweeter once Scotty’s true identity is finally revealed,’ says Pintado. It’s ‘a hilarious story that celebrates acceptance and inclusivity within a family, no matter how alike or different we are,’ adds Green.

UQP rights and contracts manager Erin Sandiford and UQP children’s publisher Cathy Vallance are both attending Bologna in person this year. They are excited to pitch My Mum Is a Bird (Angie Cui, illus by Evie Barrow), ‘a delightfully absurd story about a child who doesn’t want their mum to come to the school’s Parents’ and Carers’ Day because she is a literal human-sized bird,’ says Vallance, adding that the book explores universal themes and celebrates diversity, ‘without ever being didactic’. ‘The universality of parents being “like, so embarrassing…” means significant overseas potential,’ says Sandiford, noting pre-fair sales to Turkey and Korea. ‘We’re taking over some postcards for our stand with an illustration from the final page and the words, “I love that my mum is a …”, which will help show our foreign co-agents and publishing friends that, as well as just being funny, silly and beautifully illustrated, My Mum Is a Bird is a helpful text to aid conversations about diversity at home or in classrooms around the world.’

Magabala Books will be represented at Bologna this year by editor Melena Cole-Manolis and rights manager Kate McCormack. Their overall pick of Magabala books they are hoping will attract interest at the fair is the picture book Goorramindi the Crocodile (Quinlan Jaffrey, illus by Jade Goodwin). ‘An exciting and universal story about a friendly crocodile that children will love, with appealing illustrations by Jade Goodwin, who will also be present at the fair […], Goorramindi the Crocodile will have a positive response from international publishers. It’s a fun and universal story about the strength and wisdom of Elders. And who in the world doesn’t love a cheeky crocodile tale?’

Tash Besliev, publishing director, children’s at Simon & Schuster Australia (S&S), with responsibility for both S&S and Affirm Press titles, will attend the 2025 fair with S&S managing director Dan Ruffino. In picture books, Besliev has high hopes for When the Mountain Wakes (Matt Shanks, September 2025). ‘After getting to know him better on another project, I discovered Matt had some solo projects in his desk drawer, and I asked if he might share something with me. He sent me When the Mountain Wakes on a Friday morning. It was the second last Friday of 2024. The minute I opened the file, I knew this book was beyond special. I was spellbound, I was teary, and by the end of the book, I felt an overwhelming sense of hope – rare in today’s times. I also knew that I had to publish this book. So, I spent the rest of my Friday galvanising our team for an impromptu acquisitions meeting. Everyone felt what I felt. I received photos from sales managers showing their teary reactions after reading it. Our marketing manager had goosebumps. By Monday morning, we had acquired When the Mountain Wakes. This is a sweeping, profound and ambitious picture book. It’s a powerful reflection on hope and healing, and it is a classic in the making. I just know that the response we have all had in-house will be echoed throughout the halls in Bologna this year (which Matt might hear himself, as he will be in Bologna for the fair and key meetings).’

In 2025, Windy Hollow Books children’s publisher Cristina Pase will be attending Bologna in person for the fifth time. She singles out the picture book The Letter Writer by Binny Talib as the title the publisher has the highest hopes for, in terms of international interest at the fair. ‘It is a book about connection and friendship and communication, so we feel it has a universal appeal. In addition, Binny has an international profile, which helps,’ says Pase.

Emma Dorph, rights, contracts and international sales manager at Hachette Australia, will be attending Bologna in person this year. ‘I’m excited to be pitching modern fairytale The Peach King (October 2025), a stunning, instant classic of a picture book from award-winning author Inga Simpson [pictured], with oil-painted internals by Tannya Harricks. The Peach King is a contemporary fable about the resilience of nature, one which we expect to resonate overseas, not just for its timely commentary on the impact of climate change, but also because of the broad appeal of both story and illustrations in markets looking for a more classic-style picture book.’

 

Carey Schroeter, rights and international sales manager, books for children and young adults at Allen & Unwin (A&U), will be attending Bologna in person alongside A&U publisher Anna McFarlane. McFarlane singles out The Enchantment of Golden Eagle (Margaret Wild, illus by Stephen Michael King, July 2025) among A&U’s picture books – this one for the 7–11 age range. ‘Margaret Wild and Stephen Michael King tap into something elemental and allegorical, whilst telling a fable-like story about a golden eagle who is cursed to fly for a year and a day. It’s a picture book that invites multiple readings to explore Stephen Michael King’s stunning visual landscape, into which fairytale characters are embedded, and to think about the idea of punishment and penance, and ultimately forgiveness.’

For HarperCollins Australia, head of international rights Airlie Lawson will be attending Bologna in person in 2025. HarperCollins singles out This Is an Elf (Books That Drive Kids Crazy, book #6) (Beck & Matt Stanton, September 2025), ‘a fabulous Christmas book with a difference, as well as a companion to This Is a Ball, the award-winning, bestselling book that launched the Books That Drive Kids Crazy series’. HarperCollins reports that the latter has sold over 100,000 copies worldwide, with rights licensed to Little, Brown, Younger Readers (English language, North America & UK), Baeckens Books (Dutch), and Nagaoka Shoten (Japanese). ‘Why was it such a success? And why will This Is an Elf be a hit, too? Because it lets young kids be right! Put it this way, the picture on the cover of This Is an Elf clearly shows a cute reindeer, not an elf. So there’s something wrong with the book, right? It’s a book that opens a conversation about the relationship between words and pictures – and makes everyone laugh. We have no doubt that the existing publishers of the Books That Drive Kids Crazy series will love this one – and that it will entrance new publishers, who’ll then wonder how they missed the series in the first place!’

Independent Western Australian publisher Fremantle Press will be represented by subagents at Bologna this year. Fremantle CEO Alex Allan singles out Bigfoot vs Yeti (James Foley) among the publisher’s picuture book offerings. ‘James Foley’s Stellarphant has been popular with overseas agents and publishers, and we can’t wait to sell in his new title, Bigfoot vs Yeti,’ says Allan. ‘This is a classic, albeit hirsute, Romeo and Juliet–style romance with a happy ending – or is it? James’s new picture book shows how some differences of opinion can be reconciled, but some rifts will always keep us apart. It’s timely, entertaining and characteristically thought-provoking.’

Recently acquired

Handbooks for Little Humans series (Zanni Louise, illus by Kim Drane, November 2025), ANZ rights to the six-book series acquired by Affirm Press in a deal between Simon & Schuster and Affirm children’s publishing director Tash Besliev and Lori Kilkelly at LK Literary Agency, in a three-house auction.

Inspired by Girl Guides and survival handbooks, the Handbooks for Little Humans series aims to ‘guide little humans through the complexities of life in a fun and sensitive way’, says Affirm. ‘This series takes a playful, guidebook approach to nuanced topics, giving readers practical tools for negotiating how to be human.’ Louise has written more than 40 children’s books. Her debut YA, A Guide to Falling Off the Map, is being simultaneously published by Scholastic US and Hachette Australia in September 2025.

Australian publishers at Bologna name the junior and middle-grade fiction titles they expect to gain international interest at the fair.

On the eve of Bologna, Annabel Barker Agency announced that middle-grade novel Thunderhead (Sophie Beer, A&U Children’s) has been optioned for film in a deal negotiated by the agency. Annabel Barker Agency holds world rights (ex ANZ) to the title, while Carey Schroeter at Allen & Unwin represents translation rights. Thunderhead, which draws on the author’s own experience of a brain tumour that led to hearing loss, has been optioned by LateNite Films. Says LateNite director and co-founder Nick Colla: ‘We are beyond thrilled to be adapting Thunderhead for the big screen. Sophie Beer has crafted an extraordinary story that speaks to the heart – full of humour, hope, and an authenticity that will resonate with audiences of all ages. And don’t even get me started on the exceptional music playlist!’

Bella Suckling will represent Annabel Barker Agency at this year’s fair, which she is attending for the first time. ‘We hope Bella will receive lots of international interest for Thunderhead at Bologna,’ says Barker.

Magabala Books will be represented at Bologna by editor Melena Cole-Manolis and rights manager Kate McCormack. In junior and middle-grade, the pair singles out Getting Dusty by Jared Thomas. Says Cole-Manolis and McCormack: ‘Getting Dusty is the sequel to Uncle Xbox (2023), which sold extremely well in Australia. It has great characters, and a plot and messaging that’s relatable to a lot of young people around the world. Getting Dusty was the winner of the 2023 Daisy Utemorrah Award, and Uncle Xbox was a Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable book. We’re hoping to sell as a series.’

UQP rights and contracts manager Erin Sandiford and UQP children’s publisher Cathy Vallance are both attending Bologna in person this year. Of all UQP titles, Sandiford singles out Kid (Peter Carnavas). ‘We have so many contenders for the top position, but ultimately, I think it has to be international bestselling author Peter Carnavas’s next junior reader novel, which we’re publishing in early 2026,’ says Sandiford, who will be hosting an intimate dinner for some of Carnavas’s overseas publishers on the Tuesday evening of the fair. ‘[Carnavas] has been published in over 15 territories and has option publishers in the UK and North America, and the themes in Kid mean that it is universally accessible and will be cheap to translate,’ says Sandiford. She adds: ‘Kid is a return to the age bracket that many publishers around the world fell in love with Peter for, and this combined with the universality of Kid‘s premise – a modern-day classic about a young goat who discovers the meaning of family – makes launching it at Bologna this year an absolute dream career moment.’

Tash Besliev, publishing director, children’s at Simon & Schuster Australia (S&S), with responsibility for both S&S and Affirm Press titles, will attend the 2025 fair with S&S managing director Dan Ruffino. In middle-grade fiction, Besliev singles out Oceanforged 1: The Wicked Ship (Amelia Mellor, August 2025). ‘After publishing her debut middle-grade Grandest trilogy (to acclaim, awards, and commercial success), we are thrilled to be launching an exciting new five-book adventure fantasy series from the wonderful Amelia Mellor,’ says Besliev, who promises Oceanforged is ‘a sensational swashbuckling series packed with action and Amelia’s trademark scrappy and loveable characters’. ‘I am confident her existing eight international publishers of Grandest will be thrilled to jump onboard this brand-new five-book series,’ says Besliev, ‘and [I] expect to find many new publishers at Bologna Book Fair as well!’

Emma Dorph, rights, contracts and international sales manager at Hachette Australia, will be attending Bologna in person this year. ‘On the junior fiction side, the launch of our lightly illustrated Dragonfall series is sure to dazzle readers,’ says Dorph, who promises that first instalment The Fate of Dragons ‘is an action-packed adventure, with younglings from different tribes who must work together to overcome their enemies and reclaim the skies’. ‘This will be a pacy, thrilling and addictive mid-primary chapter book series for kids who love reading Wings of Fire and watching Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous … Perfect for fans of found families and beating the odds, and anyone a little bit dragon-obsessed.’

Allen & Unwin (A&U) rights and international sales manager, books for children and young adults Carey Schroeter will be attending Bologna in person alongside A&U publisher Anna McFarlane. Of A&U’s middle-grade fiction offerings, the pair have high hopes for The Surface Trials (HM Waugh, May), for the 10–14 years age bracket. Says A&U publisher Jodie Webster: ‘There is so much to love about The Surface Trials  … it is a thrilling middle-grade sci-fi novel set on a hostile alien planet, featuring a televised survival-of-the-fittest competition for smart and resourceful kids, a gutsy underdog, hidden royalty, dangerous secrets, a cracking pace and a satisfying twist. It’s a wild ride, perfect for readers who love action and adventure.’

Hardie Grant rights manager Evie Green will be attending Bologna in person alongside Hardie Grant publisher Chren Byng. Green says the pair are excited to debut Lamington Left Behind by first-time creator Andrea Innocent to international publishers at the fair. ‘Fans of Hilda and the Troll and Lightfall will love this magical middle-grade adventure about a girl called Lamington, who tries to help a ragtag group of animals save the heart of their forest,’ says Hardie Grant publisher Marisa Pintado of the full-colour graphic novel. ‘Innocent’s love of Japanese character design and the Australian wilderness shines through her rich world-building and vivid cast of characters – with everything from brave koalas and talking mushrooms to a gang of feral boys – yet it’s the novel’s powerful exploration of friendship and resilience that brings the magic to life.’

‘Many international markets are seeing significant growth in graphic novels, and we are proud to be home to Australian-originated graphic novels under our Figment imprint,’ says Green. ‘Lamington Left Behind is set in the Australian wilderness but explores the universal themes of friendship and community. Andrea Innocent’s extraordinary and distinctive illustration style … and heart and humour of this graphic novel … will resonate with readers around the world.’

HarperCollins head of international rights Airlie Lawson will be attending Bologna this year. HarperCollins has high hopes for Detective Galileo (Pete Helliar, illus by Andrew Joyner, June 2025), ‘a wonderfully silly and very funny new four-part series’ about a police horse who wants more from life. ‘Written by one of Australia’s favourite comedians […], the first book in the series will engage even the most reluctant junior fiction reader – which is what publishers around the world want – so we have no doubt that this series will gallop out the door and around the world!’ says HarperCollins. The book’s publisher, Ana Vivas, adds: ‘Detective Galileo is the perfect combination of Pete’s rollicking writing style with Andrew’s hilarious illustrations. This series has been as much fun to work on as it will be for its young readers.’

Fremantle Press will be represented by subagents at Bologna this year. Fremantle CEO Alex Allan picks Tawny Trouble by Deb Fitzpatrick as a standout for the press in the younger reader category. ‘This is the story of a family that steps up to care for an injured bird after they hit it with their car. Deb Fitzpatrick is masterful when it comes to depicting loving families facing everyday moral dilemmas about caring for the planet and other species.’

Recent junior and middle-grade acquisitions

Elif’s Itchy Hand: The Cockatoo Crew Book #1 and Sambu Won’t Grow: The Cockatoo Crew Book #2 (Lora Inak, illus by Kruti Desai, mid-2025), ANZ rights acquired by UWA Publishing in a four-book deal, via Danielle Binks at Jacinta di Mase Management. 

‘With superhero-energy, a group of eight kids from different backgrounds are learning a new language and new cultures in a fun school setting,’ says UWA Publishing of the series, which is for readers aged five years and older who love the Little Lunch (Danny Katz & Mitch Vane, Walker Books) and Aussie Kids (Puffin) series.

Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping (Craig Silvey, illus by Sara Acton, October 2025), ANZ rights acquired by A&U, via Lesley Thorne at Aitken Alexander Associates.

Publisher Eva Mills says: ‘I know that Runt’s many fans will be delighted that Craig is returning to Upson Downs to tell more tales of Annie and the Shearer family […] Everyone’s favourite characters will be back, plus some new ones – and we will learn more about Runt’s mysterious past.’

Drift (Pip Harry, August 2025), ANZ rights acquired by Hachette Australia, via agent Benython Oldfield at Zeitgeist Agency.

According to the author, middle-grade verse novel Drift tells the story of Nate and Luna, 14-year-olds ‘who attempt to rescue a swarm of 20,000 bees and end up saving each other’, and includes ‘themes of friendship, courage, anxiety, beekeeping and self-belief’.

The Boy and the Dog Tree (Fiona Wood, March 2026), ANZ rights acquired by UQP in a two-book deal, via Katelyn Detweiler of Jill Grinberg Literary Management.

The middle-grade novel is described by the publisher as ‘a haunting, magical story about 11-year-old Leo who, while struggling to fit in at his new school, summons an ancient wild dog from an oak tree’. ‘The dog, Argos, will be Leo’s best friend, for a time, until the boy seems ready to face the world without him. It is a deeply moving story about friendship, courage and belonging that has the feel of a modern-day classic.’

Australian publishers pick their top YA offerings.

Carey Schroeter, rights and international sales manager, books for children and young adults at Allen & Unwin (A&U), will be attending Bologna in person alongside A&U publisher Anna McFarlane. Of A&U’s YA titles, Schroeter singles out Blood Moon Bride (Demet Divaroren, April 2025), which A&U says is perfect for fans of The Prison Healer (Lynette Noni, Penguin) and Children of Blood and Bone (Tomi Adeyemi, Macmillan).

According to A&U publisher Jodie Webster, Blood Moon Bride is ‘a fierce and impressive YA fantasy novel’ by the award-winning author of Living on Hope Street. In the book, every winter, on the night of the Blood Moon, young women enter forced marriages for the valley’s advancement and prosperity. But this year, Governor Kyra has decreed that girls of just 15 must become Blood Moon Brides, making Rehya eligible. ‘In a world where girls and women have few rights, rebellious Rehya fights back against an appallingly unjust society, entrenched inequality, political deception and unregulated power,’ says Webster, who promises it is ‘perfect for readers who want to change the world’.

Magabala Books will be represented at Bologna by editor Melena Cole-Manolis and rights manager Kate McCormack. Of Magabala’s YA offerings, the pair singles out Desert Tracks (Marly Wells & Linda Wells). ‘From award-winning authors, this time-travelling story gives a great introduction into the fascinating history of Central Australia,’ say Cole-Manolis and McCormack of the 2024 Daisy Utemorrah Award–winning novel.

Emma Dorph, rights, contracts and international sales manager at Hachette Australia, will be attending Bologna in person in 2025. In YA, she highlights a verse novel. ‘Acclaimed contemporary poet Robbie Coburn has penned the deeply moving The Foal in the Wire,’ says Dorph. ‘This novel-in-verse about love, survival, and the bonds between animals and humans will appeal to fans of Karen Comer’s Children’s Book Council of Australia [Book of the Year] Award–winning Grace Notes, from a young poet who has been featured at the Wheeler Centre, La Mama Poetica, and multiple national writers’ festivals.’

Fremantle Press will be represented by subagents at Bologna in 2025. Fremantle CEO Alex Allan highlights A Wreck of Seabirds (Karleah Olson) among the independent Western Australian publisher’s YA offerings. Says Allan: ‘The book was shortlisted for a Fogarty Literary Award, and has just been made a Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable book. We love the brooding, spooky, gothic layers of this extraordinary debut novel for young adults.’

YA recent acquisitions

Hunting Bears (Julianne Negri, second half 2025), world rights acquired by University of Western Australia Publishing (UWA Publishing), via Danielle Binks of Jacinta di Mase Management.

Hunting Bears is a ‘heart-wrenching verse novel for young adult readers that tackles the tough reality of suicide amongst teenagers,’ says UWA Publishing. The publisher adds that the book is ‘inspired by Julianne Negri’s personal loss of her friend Joanne when she was younger’, using children’s story We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury to tell the story of protagonist ‘Dog’, who returns to school six months after her best friend, ‘Bear’, died by suicide. ‘Unflinching, emotional, and darkly funny at times, Hunting Bears is a collision of idyllic childhood memories, overwhelming grief, deep shame, escapism, friendship, love and teenage choices.’

The Pull of the Moon (Pip Smith, mid-2025), world rights acquired by UWA Publishing.

Inspired by the Janga/SIEV-221 tragedy in December 2010, The Pull of the Moon follows the story of Coralie, a 13-year-old girl who lives on Christmas Island, as she witnesses a refugee boat crashing into the cliffs of the island. On board is Ali, an 11-year-old Iranian refugee, whom Coralie searches for after the crash. ‘Told through multiple points of view, Smith’s novel interrogates what happens to children who experience trauma and are given no means to connect with those for whom they grieve,’ says the publisher.

Wandering Wild (Lynette Noni, April 2025), ANZ rights acquired by Penguin Random House, alongside rights to a new fantasy series by the author, in a deal brokered by Jennifer Azantian from Azantian Literary Agency.

Wandering Wild follows two teenagers from vastly different worlds who must put their enmity aside when they become stranded in the wilderness and have to rely on each other to survive. ‘Filled with a cast of diverse characters, beloved tropes, and relatable themes, this swoony YA survival story is perfect for readers wanting a high-stakes lost-in-the-wilderness adventure that’s also brimming with tension-filled romance,’ says the publisher.

Australian publishers offer not one but two Dogs with Jobs children’s books, among a range of nonfiction titles on offer at Bologna.

We suppose publishers must be onto something when two of them pitch a nonfiction book with the same topic and title! Dogs with Jobs is the name and premise of forthcoming books from both Allen & Unwin (A&U) (Max Hamilton, October) and Hardie Grant (Andrea Rowe, illus by Julia Murray).

As A&U publisher Susannah Chambers comments: ‘Everybody loves dogs doing jobs – they are so serious and committed and joyfully helpful.’

Says Chambers of A&U’s title, which is pitched at children from 3 to 6 years of age: ‘Max Hamilton’s beautiful watercolour art and gently informative text introduces us to skilful canines all over the world. From a penguin-protecting Labrador in Australia, to a water rescue Newfoundland in Italy, or a shop assistant Shiba Inu in Japan – they are all very good dogs.’ Hamilton’s book also invites readers to meet the doggie ‘bee-keepers, the whale poop sniffers, the dental assistants […] from around the world who prove that dogs have more jobs than you can throw a stick at’. (Carey Schroeter, rights and international sales manager, books for children and young adults at A&U, will be attending Bologna in person alongside A&U publisher Anna McFarlane, for those who want to find them in person and take a peek.)

Hardie Grant rights manager Evie Green will be attending Bologna in person alongside Hardie Grant publisher Chren Byng. Byng says of Hardie Grant’s title: ‘Dogs with Jobs is an exciting foray into nonfiction from nature-lover and award-winning children’s writer Andrea Rowe (Jetty Jumping). Julia Murray’s gorgeous illustrations have brought so much warmth and charm to this fact-filled exploration of all the roles our canine friends play in human society.’ Says Green: ‘Dogs with Jobs is a celebration of the vital roles dogs play within our societies. All over the world, there are dogs acting every day to support humans, from search and rescue, to tracking and herding, and therapy and companion dogs […] Dogs with Jobs will resonate with any reader who has an appreciation for dogs, whether as companions or colleagues, and we cannot wait to share it with international publishers at Bologna.’ The Hardie Grant title is recommended for dog-lovers aged 6–10.

Magabala Books will be represented at Bologna by editor Melena Cole-Manolis and rights manager Kate McCormack. In children’s nonfiction, they highlight Always Was, Always Will Be by Aunty Fay Muir and Sue Lawson, describing it as ‘an important book that celebrates the achievements of First Nations heroes and educates about significant social movements in history’. The book was described by Books+Publishing reviewer Angela Glindemann as an ‘indispensable resource for young people looking to understand First Nations resistance in Australia’. It was longlisted in the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s prestigious Book of the Year awards, as well as for the Australian School Library Association DANZ (Diversity in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand) Children’s Book Award.

Emma Dorph, rights, contracts and international sales manager at Hachette Australia, will be attending Bologna in person. ‘We have a beautiful new illustrated nonfiction series by crowd favourite Jess McGeachin, in which each book will focus on a different ecosystem – coast, desert, mountain and forest – and introduce children to animals and landscapes from around the world,’ says Dorph. ‘Find Me: On the Coast (August 25) is the first of the four, featuring coastlines and their creature inhabitants from Japan to Alaska, Antarctica to South Africa.’

Western Australian independent Fremantle Press will be represented at the Bologna by subagents. Among the nonfiction titles the publisher has on offer, Fremantle CEO Alex Allan singles out A New World Rises: Tales of a Lego Future (Jackson Harvey & Alex Towler with Cristy Burne). ‘Alex and Jackson wowed the world when they won Lego Masters, and now the world gets to see what they did next,’ says Allan. ‘Pushing the limits of the art you can create using the humble Lego brick, the book looks into a future run by whole populations of minifigures nestled inside humanity’s discarded objects.’

WANTED: Brave Heroes to find Deadly Fang

Arlo is a brave, hard-working farm boy who dreams of doing more than brushing the unibrows of his unicows.
Julia’s a plucky adventurer who is tired of having no one to talk to but her onesie-wearing father.
With nothing in common but embarrassing dads, Arlo and Julia find themselves on a quest to save the land of Ticklebrook from eternal grumpiness and disgusting lemonade. All they have to do is find an invisible island, face a freaky foe and bring home a Super Epic Dragon treasure!

Super Epic Dragon Quest #1 The Deadly Fang
Author: Adam Wallace
Publisher: Scholastic Australia
Rights held for book:  World (ex ANZ)
Email for rights contact: Claire_Pretyman@scholastic.com.au
Stall number (optional): Hall 25, Aisle A, Stand # 141

Gaming fanatic Jay receives a strange phone call on a school trip to Titanium Tower. The voice on the other end calls himself Z. And he has trapped Jay’s classmates in the elevator at the very top of the skyscraper.
Jay finds himself with no choice but to try and solve Z’s deadly riddles. Not only that, he has the worst person possible helping him: Hudson Hamm, the school’s star athlete and resident tough guy.
Soon Jay and Hudson are on a high-stakes scavenger hunt around the city. Can they team up to beat Z at his own game? If not, their classmates and family members will pay with their lives.

Villain
Author: Adrian Beck
Publisher: Scholastic Australia
Rights held for book:  World (ex ANZ)
Email for rights contact: Claire_Pretyman@scholastic.com.au
Stall number (optional): Hall 25, Aisle A, Stand # 141

Read on for recent Australian award winners in children’s and young adult literature.

Illustrated children’s titles

For the first time in the history of the prestigious Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards, a children’s book has taken out the overall prize. Nukgal Wurra author-artist Wanda Gibson took out the $100,000 overall prize for her picture book Three Dresses (UQP), which also won the $25,000 children’s literature prize.

To Stir with Love (Kate Mildenhall, illus by Jess Racklyeft, S&S) is shortlisted for the yet to be announced 2025 Indie Book Awards, while Wurrtoo: The Wombat Who Fell in Love with the Sky (Tylissa Elisara, illus by Dylan Finney, Lothian) won the children’s category of the 2024 Readings Prize, presented by independent bookseller Readings. Hope Is the Thing (Johanna Bell & Erica Wagner, A&U Children’s) was named the winner of the picture fiction category of the Wilderness Society’s 2024 Environment Award for Children’s Literature, with Nedingar: Ancestors (Isobel Bevis & Leanne Zilm, Fremantle Press) taking out the picture fiction category for the Karajia Award for First Nations children’s storytelling in the same awards ceremony. Also recognised in the Wilderness Society’s awards was The Littlest Penguin and the Phillip Island Penguin Parade (The Penguin Foundation & Jedda Robaard, Puffin), which took out the fiction category.

In the Royal Zoological Society of NSW’s 2024 Whitley Awards, The Black Cockatoo with One Feather Blue (Jodie McLeod, illus by Eloise Short, Wollemi Press) won best children’s book. Meanwhile in Australia’s Northern Territory, the 2024 Chief Minister’s NT Book Awards recognised picture book Tangki Tjuta—Donkeys (Tjanpi Desert Weavers, A&U Children’s) as the winner in the children’s/YA category.

Meanwhile, in the 2024 Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards, the following illustrated works were recognised: Let’s Play (Karen Tyrrell, illus by Maddi Gray, Play Matters) (winner of the birth–3 years age category), Almost a Fish (Julianne Negri, illus by Evie Barrow, Little Book Press) (winner of the 3–5 years age category) and Harriet Hound (Kate Foster, illus by Sophie Beer, Walker Books) (winner of the 5–8 years category).

And middle-grade illustrated title Spies in the Sky (Beverley McWilliams, illus by Martina Heiduczek, Pantera) has been shortlisted for the Historical Novel Society Australasia’s 2024 ARA Historical Novel Prize.

Junior and middle-grade fiction

Michael Debenham’s middle-grade novel Drowning for Beginners won the 2024 Ampersand Prize for children’s and YA debut fiction; the award is for an unpublished manuscript, with Debenham’s debut scheduled to be published by Hardie Grant in 2026.

Middle-grade works Secret Sparrow (Jackie French, HarperCollins) and Two Sparrowhawks in a Lonely Sky (Rebecca Lim, A&U Children’s) have been shortlisted for the Historical Novel Society Australasia’s 2024 ARA Historical Novel Prize, while All the Beautiful Things (Katrina Nannestad, ABC Books), The Midwatch (Judith Rossell, HGCP), and The 113th Assistant Librarian (Stuart Wilson, Penguin) are all shortlisted in the children’s category of the 2025 Indie Book Awards.

At the 2024 Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards, Being Jimmy Baxter (Fiona Lloyd, Puffin) won in the 8–10 years age category, while the Fox Kid chapter book series (Adrian Beck, Learning Logic) won the award for a decodable book series.

Young Adult 

At the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards, Anomaly (Emma Lord, Affirm) won the $25,000 prize for writing for young adults.

We Didn’t Think It Through (Gary Lonesborough, A&U) won the YA category of the 2024 Readings Prize, awarded by Australian independent bookselling chain Readings. Lonesborough’s book was shortlisted alongside five others, including A Way Home (Emily Brewin, MidnightSun), which was chosen as the winner of the Gab Williams Prize, an award judged by the Readings Teen Advisory Board from the YA shortlist.

Also in YA, The Sinister Booksellers of Bath (Garth Nix, A&U) took out the best novel prize in the 2024 Ditmar Awards, which were announced as part of the Australian national science fiction convention Conflux 18, while Comes the Night (Isobelle Carmody, A&U Children’s), Eleanor Jones Can’t Keep a Secret (Amy Doak, Penguin), My Family and Other Suspects (Kate Emery, A&U Children’s), and Immortal Dark (Tigest Girma, Lothian) have all been shortlisted in the YA category of the Indie Book Awards.

Nonfiction

The Trees (Victor Steffensen & Sandra Steffensen, HG Explore) won the nonfiction category of the Wilderness Society’s Environment Award for Children’s Literature, while In My Blood It Runs (Dujuan Hoosan, Margaret Anderson, Carol Turner & Blak Douglas, Macmillan) took out the organisation’s Karajia Award for Children’s Literature in the nonfiction category. Both titles are also longlisted in the 2025 DANZ (Diversity in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand) Children’s Book Awards, alongside many other titles from Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Meanwhile, Mammals of the South-west Pacific (Tyrone Lavery & Tim Flannery, CSIRO Publishing) won the Whitley Medal at the Royal Zoological Society of NSW’s 2024 Whitley Awards, presented for outstanding publications that profile the unique wildlife of the Australasian region. Also in nonfiction, Our Flag, Our Story: The Torres Strait Islander Flag (Thomas Mayo & Bernard Namok Jnr, illus by Tori-Jay Mordey, Magabala) won the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Book Award at the 2024 Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards.

Body of work

Recognised for their bodies of work are proud Bundjalung Woman, author and artist Bronwyn Bancroft, the recipient of the 2024 Lady Cutler Award, a biennial award presented by the New South Wales branch of the Children’s Book Council of Australia for distinguished service to children’s literature; Ann James, recipient of the Australian Society of Authors 2024 ASA Medal, awarded annually to an Australian author or illustrator who has made an outstanding contribution to Australian culture, both as a creator and an advocate; author and illustrator Judith Rossell, the recipient of the 2024 Albert Ullin Award, which recognises a ‘body of work by an author or illustrator of children’s books who has made a significant and ongoing contribution to children’s literature in Australia’; and Alice Pung, whose body of work includes memoir and nonfiction as well as children’s, middle-grade and YA fiction, and who was recognised with the Alice Literary Award, presented by the Society of Women Writers in Australia. (Pung is the first ‘Alice’ to win the award.)

Top 10 Australian YA fiction

1. Cruel Is the Light (Sophie Clark, Penguin) 5.0K
2. I Am Not Jessica Chen (Ann Liang, Harlequin Teen) 2.0K
3. Immortal Dark (Tigest Girma, Lothian) 1.8K
4. My Family and Other Suspects (Kate Emery, A&U Children’s) 1.2K
5. Tom Appleby, Convict Boy (Jackie French, HarperCollins) 1.1K
6. Comes the Night (Isobelle Carmody, A&U Children’s) 1.1K
7. I Hope This Doesn’t Find You (Ann Liang, Penguin) 1.0K
8. The Prison Healer (Lynette Noni, Penguin) 0.9K
9. Eleanor Jones Is Not a Murderer (Amy Doak, Penguin) 0.8K
10. Catching Teller Crow (Ambelin Kwaymullina & Ezekiel Kwaymullina, A&U Children’s) 0.7K

Top 10 Australian children’s titles

1. Shadows and Secrets (Wolf Girl #12) (Anh Do, illus by Jeremy Ley, A&U Children’s) 6.8K
2. Runt (Craig Silvey, illus by Sara Acton, A&U)* 5.8K
3. Ninja Girl (Anh Do, illus by James Hart, Scholastic) 4.3K
4. One Last Thing (The Bad Guys #20) (Aaron Blabey, Scholastic) 4.0K
5. Adventures Unlimited: The Land of Lost Things (Andy Griffiths, illus by Bill Hope, Pan Australia) 4.0K
6. Scary Time! (Hotdog! #17) (Anh Do, illus by Dan McGuiness, Scholastic) 3.4K
7. Treasure Trail (Ella Diaries Super Special #3) (Meredith Costain, illus by Danielle McDonald, Scholastic) 3.4K
8. All the Beautiful Things (Katrina Nannestad, ABC Books) 2.7K
9. Funny Weird (WeirDo #23) (Anh Do, illus by Jules Faber, Scholastic) 2.4K
10. Enter the Roo (Kung Fu Roo #1) (Anh Do, illus by Jeremy Ley, A&U Children’s) 2.2K

Top 10 Australian picture books

1. The Truck Cat (Deborah Frenkel, illus by Danny Snell, Bright Light) 4.7K
2. Where Is the Green Sheep? (Mem Fox, illus by Judy Horacek, Puffin) 4.2K
3. Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes (Mem Fox, illus by Helen Oxenbury, Picture Puffin) 3.9K
4. Do Not Open This Book (It Stinks) (Andy Lee, illus by Heath McKenzie, Lake Press) 3.8K
5. Wombat Stew (40th Anniversary Edition) (Marcia K Vaughan, illus by Pamela Lofts, Omnibus) 3.8K
6. Kissed by the Moon (Alison Lester, Viking) 3.5K
7. The Wild Guide to Starting School (Laura Bunting & Philip Bunting, Omnibus) 2.9K
8. Where Is the Green Sheep? (Hardback) (Mem Fox, illus by Judy Horacek, Viking) 2.8K
9. Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas (Aaron Blabey, Scholastic) 2.8K
10. Can I Cuddle the Moon? (Kerry Brown, illus by Lisa Stewart, Scholastic) 2.7K

Top 10 Australian children’s and YA nonfiction

1. Girl Stuff 8–12 (Kaz Cooke, Viking) 3.5K
2. Barefoot Kids (Scott Pape, Barefoot Publishing) 2.7K
3. You’ve Got This! (Life Lessons for Little Ones) (Jess Sanders, illus by Irina Avgustinovich, Affirm Kids) 1.9K
4. Animals of Australia (Garry Fleming, Lake Press) 1.4K
5. Animals of the Oceans (Garry Fleming, Lake Press) 1.0K
6. The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Extinct Animals (Sami Bayly, Lothian) 1.0K
7. Come Together Again (Isaiah Firebrace, illus by Jaelyn Biumaiwai, Hardie Grant Explore) 1.0K
8. Taronga: Crocodile Snap! (Taronga Conservation Society Australia, illus by Kate Daubney, Penguin) 1.0K
9. Worse Things (Sally Murphy, illus by Sarah Davis, Walker Books) 0.8K
10. Extreme Animal Facts (Jennifer Cossins, Lothian) 0.8K

*Combined editions.

© Nielsen BookScan 2025. Period covered: 29 December 2024 to 22 February 2025.
Data supplied by Nielsen BookScan’s book sales monitoring system from over 1300 outlets nationwide.

You can find the Australian Collective Stand at Bologna at Hall 25, Stand A87. Come visit for the Australia party, to be held on 1 April at 5pm.

In the meantime, explore the latest rights opportunities from Australian publishers participating in the Australian Collective Stand at Bologna.

Meet our Australian Creators visiting Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2025.

View the Australian publishers exhibiting on the collective stand here, featuring over 70 children’s and YA titles with international appeal.