Bologna Children's Book Fair 2025

The 62nd edition of the BCBF, one of the most important and renowned children's book fair is taking place in Bologna at Bologna Fiere from the 31st of March to the 3rd of April, 2025.

Bologna is home to a unique three-in-one event: the Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF), the world’s leading trade fair for the children’s publishing industry; BolognaBookPlus (BBPlus), the extension dedicated to general trade publishing; and the Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids (BLTF/Kids), the BCBF licensing event for subsidiary rights of brands and properties for children, teens and young adults. From March 31st to April 3rd, 2025, these three dynamic events will run concurrently, transforming Bologna into a leading global hub for copyright exchange across publishing, multimedia, licensing, illustration, and animation.
The Bologna Book Fair is proudly organised with the support and collaboration of the Italian Trade Agency and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. 

The 2025 Guest of Honour will be Estonia, bringing a dedicated programme of exhibitions and workshops both at the fair and around the city.

The Guest of Honour programme includes illustration- and book exhibitions, author presentations, discussions, seminars, and workshops both in the fairgrounds and around the city of Bologna. The project is led by the Estonian Children’s Literature Centre and the Estonian Publishers’ Association, and is funded by the Estonian Ministry of Culture and aimes at promoting Estonian literature and establishing contacts with foreign publishers for the translation and publication of books in other countries..

This constitutes a rare opportunity to exhibit Estonian authors’ and illustrators’ work on such a grand scale and garner significant international attention.

Book your ticket and read more information about this year's BCBF and about their programme on their official website.

Source: https://www.bolognachildrensbookfair.com/en/home/878.html

Translation Grants and Awards for translation, subtitling and dubbing from Italian into non Italian languages - Ministry of Foreign Affairs and international cooperation - 2025

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation promotes the dissemination of Italian publishing and cinematographic works abroad by providing incentives to translation and dubbing/subtitling initiatives, as a strategic tool for promoting Italian language and culture abroad.

The Foreign Ministry provides two types of financial incentives:

Grants for the translation of an Italian literary work, which has not yet been published abroad, and for the production, dubbing and subtitling of short/feature-length films and TV series; 

Prize to an Italian work already translated abroad.

Proposals must be presented annually to the Italian Cultural Institutes and Italian diplomatic and consular representations abroad, according to the Call regulations. The expiry for submitting a proposal for the 2025 edition is 7 April 2025.

For French speakers, have a look at this article in French!

Please, read and download the call with the rules to be followed in order to apply for the Grant or for the Prize, in Italian or in English.

Sources --> https://www.esteri.it/it/diplomazia-culturale-e-diplomazia-scientifica/cultura/sostegno-alleditoria/promozionelibroitaliano/
https://www.newitalianbooks.it/highlight/translation-awards-and-grants-of-the-ministry-of-foreign-affairs-and-international-cooperation-2025/

If you are a non-Italian publisher wishing to translate an Italian book into your language through this call, why not considering a book from IBA? Do not hesitate to contact IBA at Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo. . We will be more than happy to send you our newest books catalogue (we cover a wide range of genres), support you through the process and help you fill in the application to be sent at your local Italian cultural institutes or Italian diplomatic and consular representations in your country!

London Book Fair 2025

The London Book Fair 2025, one of the most important and renowned book fairs in the world, will be taking place from the 11th to the 13th March 2025 at the Olympia, London.

LBF is the perfect place for exhibitors to engage with customers, build brand awareness, conduct face-to-face business and make sales, to experience carefully curated seminar sessions that provide insights into what is happening in the publishing world. Key themes include: sustainability in publishing, how to get published, literary translation, diversity and inclusion, and emerging trends.

At the heart of LBF is the International Trade Centre (IRC), where there is the opportunity to create meaningful relationships and meet new and existing contacts. Offering private meeting spaces and exclusive services, the IRC provides rights professionals opportunities to sell rights during a critical buying time for the industry.

Visitors can experience over 100 seminars across several stages, including the Main Stage, Author HQ, English PEN Literary Salon, Literary Translation Centre, Tech Theatre, Focus Theatre, and the Sustainability Hub.

LBF has something for everyone who works in the publishing industry: included in the ticket is access to over 100 content seminars, across the three days of the fair, on the pressing themes in publishing. 
LBF is the perfect place for exhibitors to engage with customers, build brand awareness, conduct face-to-face business and make sales. It is already possible to enquire to become an exhibitor in 2026, here!

For more information about this unique event and to discover the programme of all the conferences and activities, please visit the London Book Fair's website.

Source

Kolkata Book Fair 2025

The International Kolkata Book Fair, one of Asia's largest literary events, is held annually in Kolkata, drawing millions with its diverse range of books and rich cultural activities. Established in 1976, it features international publishers, authors, and a special pavilion for a guest country, promoting cross-cultural exchange. The fair includes literary discussions, book launches, and performances, celebrating the region's vibrant literary heritage.
It is a unique book fair in the sense of not being a trade fair—the book fair is primarily for the general public rather than whole-sale distributors. It is the world's largest non-trade book fair, Asia's largest book fair and the most attended book fair. It is the world's third-largest annual conglomeration of books after the Frankfurt Book Fair and the London Book Fair.
The 48th International Kolkata Book Fair 2025 was inaugurated on 28th January by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and German Ambassador Phillip Ackermann. This year’s event boasts a record 1,057 book stalls, the highest in its history, with Germany as the theme country.
More than a dozen authors and book industry professionals have been invited to present German literature in all its diversity. One of the guest authors is David Wagner, whose most recent novel, "Verkin," tells the life story of a Turkish woman with Armenian heritage. Another is Christian Kracht, whose upcoming novel, "Air," is about a journey through Europe that tests the hero's inner limits.

If you are lucky enough to visit this unique book fair, get ready to admire a giant, public open-air bookstore with over 1,000 stands!

The fair will be taking place from 28th January to 9th February in Boimela Prangan, Karunamoyee, Saltlake, Calcutta.

For more information and the full programme, please visit the International Kolkata Book Fair's website.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolkata_Book_Fair
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/48th-international-kolkata-book-fair-kicks-off-record-stalls-2671655-2025-01-29
https://www.dw.com/en/kolkata-book-fair-spotlights-germanys-literary-diversity/a-71399714

CEPELL Grants for Translation from Italian into any language

Call for Proposals “For the translation and dissemination of Italian books and reading abroad by Italian authors”.
The CEPELL (the Italian centre for books and reading) has just submitted a tender aimed at funding translations of Italian books from Italian into any other language. Whether you are an Italian publisher looking for promoting the translation of books and the reading abroad of Italian authors, or a foreign publishing house interested in translating one or more books from Italian into your mother tongue, this could be your chance to see your work funded by the CEPELL.

All types of works are eligible, with the exception of school publications, which have already been published in Italian at the time of the publication of the Call for Entries.

Translations will be admitted into all foreign languages, with priority for works in translation into English, French, Spanish, German and Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese).

Project proposals, accompanied by all the required documentation, must be completed and sent exclusively online, through the new Centre for Books call platform, no later than 13:00 on 20 February 2025.

Information and/or clarifications on the Call and the procedure can be requested, within 5 days from the deadline of the Call, by writing exclusively to the following e-mail address: Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo..

For requests and any problems, on the other hand, of a technical-informatics nature relating to data entry on the platform, it is possible to write only to Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo..

Click here for the tender in Italian.

Please, read the translation of this news in French and German too.

[Sources: https://cepell.it/online-il-bando-traduzioni-2024-scadenza-20-febbraio-2025/
CEPELL Grants for Translation - New Call for Proposals 2024 — New Italian Books]

If you are a non Italian publisher wishing to translate an Italian book into your language through this funding, why not considering a book from IBA? Do not hesitate to contact IBA at Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo. . We will be more than happy to send you our newest books catalogue (we cover a wide range of genres), support you through the process and send the application for you.

Italy Guest of honour at Thessaloniki Book Fair 2025

We are happy and proud to announce that Italy will be the Guest of honour at the 21st Thessaloniki Book Fair which will take place from 8th to 11th May, 2025 in Thessaloniki, Greece.
With a record number of participations from all over the world, with more than 40 foreign writers from 18 countries and 50 guest top professionals from the book sector, with the participation of the majority of Greek publishers, writers, intellectuals and people of culture, the Fair presents a multidimensional program, creating a huge community that is united by not only the love for books, but also by the eagerness for dialogue, cooperation and the promotion of modern concerns.

For information and full programme, please visit Thessaloniki Book Fair's website.

Sharjah International Book Fair 2024

Sharjah International Book Fair is one of the world’s largest book fairs, held at the Sharjah Expo Centre, in Sharjah, UAE, every year. The eleven day fair has over 400 literary events, including daily writing workshops, poetry readings and book signings. The stalls prominently feature local favourites, including several Arabic books on Sharjah, Arab culture and Arabic art. The Sharjah book fair is a huge attraction for literature buffs. 
There is something for everyone at the SIBF, including food and snacks and live cookery stations to give visitors insights into the taste and making of Arabic food. Many parents opt to bring their children to the Expo centre to shop for story books during the book festival, a fun and educational activity for all family members, as there is a vast programme dedicated to children as well!
This year's edition is from 6th to 17th November. The great news is that Morocco is the Guest of Honour of this year, celebrating Moroccan profound literary heritage and cultural influence. The Moroccan pavilion will feature an exciting programme including documentary screenings, panel discussions, artistic workshops and musical performances. It will also showcase publications, historical documents, and the works of distinguished authors, offering a unique insight into the country’s rich history, civilisation, and arts. Visitors will engage with prominent Moroccan intellectuals and literary figures, deepening connections between the two nations and promoting cultural dialogue. Through this collaboration, SIBF aims to highlight Morocco’s intellectual and artistic achievements, while enhancing global cultural exchange.
The whole event is totally free.
For more information about the fair and the full programme of this year, please, visit the Sharjah International Book Fair's website.

Sources: https://sibf.com/en/home
https://www.visitsharjah.com/events/sharjah-international-book-fair/

Dublin Book Festival 2024

Dublin Book Festival is one of Ireland's most vibrant book festivals, with over 80 events across 5 days around Dublin City, showcasing and celebrating Ireland's writers in a festive and welcoming environment.
Don’t miss the festival from 6^th to 10^th November 2024!
The festival is a dynamic platform for established and emerging voices in Irish literature. Events, many free, include authors in conversation, panel discussions, book launches and special celebrations, poetry, literary walking tours, professional development events and workshops, a full free weekend of family and children's events, and a schools' programme. Genres explored range from contemporary fiction, poetry, non-fiction and history to science, nature, children's literature, art, storytelling, short fiction, spoken word and more.
The Dublin Book Festival is one of Ireland’s most successful and dynamic book festivals, running since June 2006 in the heart of Ireland’s capital with its rich literary history.
A festival hub is set up in their primary venue, which in 2024 will once again be The Printworks at Dublin Castle, where authors, publishers and audiences mingle over the weekend. The Festival Hub is a space where audiences gather to lounge on beanbags and read, browse the bookshop, enjoy the café and meet authors at book signings. Visitors can immerse themselves in a world of readings, exciting and stimulating panel discussions, storytelling, and creative events for all the family to enjoy.
For all the information and to read the full programme, please visit Dublin Book Festival’s website!

Sources: https://dublinbookfestival.com/
https://www.visitdublin.com/dublin-book-festival-2024