15.06.21 Free


At the Bologna Children's Book Fair 2021.


Organisers welcome adult audience to Bologna as new stream opens virtual fair


BOLOGNAFIERE IS LACKING FAIRGOERS FOR A SECOND YEAR


T


he opening day of this year’s virtual Bologna Children’s Book Fair was hailed as an important milestone by organisers, as for the first time in the event’s nearly 60 years it had atendees from outside its core children’s market. The fair kicked off with yesterday’s


(14th June) BolognaBooksPlus (BBP) stream and its flagship “Forging Forward: the Pandemic—An Interruption, or an Opportunit to Rethink?” conference. The BBP stream, which features a number of adult publishing-oriented seminars along with children’s events, is programmed by former London Book Fair director Jacks Thomas. Elena Pasoli, BCBF director, said: “This is a key day in the history of BCBF because, for the first time in our 58-year history and in addition to the 200-plus events for BCBF, we have brought together in Bologna, albeit virtually, representatives of the global publishing industry to discuss together the central issues for the entire publishing


industry in this particular moment.” Pasoli did stress the conference stream was continuing to emphasise its children’s roots. “It is fantastic to have children’s publishing represented throughout, from [Kalimat founder and current International Publishers Association president] Bodour [Al Qasimi] as one of the co-chairs, through to a children’s industry voice as part of every panel,” she said. “I am sure that this day will be the starting point of a new and wider relationship between Bologna and the global publishing communit.” The “Forging Ahead” sessions included the novelist Elif Shafak, Watpad c.e.o. Alan Lau and PFD c.e.o. Caroline Michel discussing her experiences as the Hay Festival chair. In the Changing Reading Habits session, which focused on the pandemic’s effect on technology and reading, Oxford Education m.d. Fathima Dada pointed out that the pandemic had accelerated the shiſt to digital. That, combined with giving parents and


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teachers “unprecedented access” to free resources, saw “our print sales being quite negatively impacted. [Declining print sales] have been a patern over a few years but there was definitely a particular dip in the last year that was pandemic-generated.” However, Dada said that the pandemic forced her OUP Education division to “think really quickly and sharply, about developing solutions that go right across the board”, including the inequalit of access to digital resources. She added: “We issued a report this week which highlights the impact of the digital divide... 79% of those surveyed said socioeconomic barriers had the biggest impact on digital learning—not only in emerging markets but in very developed markets as well. So while we continue to invest in future digital education globally, we are now even more sharply cognisant of these issues. I’m actively working to address them.” BBP continues this week, with highlights including a lecture on the Dante 700th anniversary and an appearance by author Victoria Hislop.


Fast goes the Furious... Reporting Tom Tivnan


Macmillan Children’s Books has bought a “hilarious and reassuring” picture book on how difficult it is to be—and raise—a toddler, with the title being sold into a further six territories. Senior commissioning editor Emily Ford bought


world rights to Timothy Knapman’s text for Sometimes I am Furious from Jodie Hodges at United Agents, and acquired world rights in Joe Berger’s illustrations from Caroline Walsh at David Higham. Knapman and Berger previously collaborated on the Superhero Parents series for Nosy Crow. The book follows a young girl who is sometimes “thoughtful, brave and sweet” but sometimes gets furious from “a melting ice cream, a too-tight t-shirt, a boy who doesn’t share... it’s so unfair”. The book has sold in six languages in the run-up


to Bologna, with Brioschi winning a “fevered” Italian auction. Other rights deals include Korean (Midnight Bookstore), Chinese (Sun Ya) and Finnish (Kustannus Makela). MCB rights director Michele Young said: “Joe’s distinct artwork has grabbed everyone’s attention, and his eye-catching, bold and witty illustrations work perfectly with Tim’s text.” Sometimes I am Furious will publish in the UK in hardback and paperback on 24th June.


Tuesday


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