Bologna Children’s Book Fair Illustrators Exhibition 2025

Bologna Children’s Book Fair Illustrators Exhibition 2025 is now open for entries!

Bologna Children’s Book Fair Illustrators Exhibition 2025: Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF) is calling for applications for the 2025 Illustrators Exhibition, a unique international showcase for state-of-the-art trends in illustrations for children and young adults.

Short description

Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF) is calling for applications for the 2025 Illustrators Exhibition.

The aims of the Illustrators Exhibition, staged as part of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, organised from 31 March to 3 April 2025 by BolognaFiere S.p.A. in the Bologna trade show grounds, are to bring illustrators and publishers together and to promote illustrators and their work among publishers.

This Illustrators Exhibition is a unique international showcase for state-of-the-art trends in illustrations for children and young adults.

This exceptional event, hosted annually, provides a unique opportunity for illustrators to gain international recognition, forge valuable connections with publishers, and elevate their careers within the vibrant realm of children’s literature.

Applications are open to:

➜ Illustrators, professionals and beginners can enter unpublished artwork, or artwork published in the previous two years.
➜ Art schools can enter the most interesting innovative projects by students who have attended their Institute.
➜ Publishers can enter illustrators they work with.
➜ The Illustrators Exhibition is a showcase for the latest trends in illustration and talent spotting new artists held during Bologna Children’s Book Fair, launched in 1967.

The Jury will make a first selection, choosing approximately 300 finalists and then the final selection of the winners whose names will be published on the Bologna Children’s Book Fair website by the end of January 2025.

Being selected will give illustrators great visibility with the publication of their works in the Illustrators Annual and the 2-year world tour of the exhibition.

Submission requirements:

➜ The 5 artworks (5, no more, no less) must be based on the same theme, and must be numbered, as preferred, from 1 to 5 on the digital format file. The number of artworks (5) is mandatory.

➜ The 5 illustrations may be unpublished artwork or artwork published after 1 January 2023. The work can be in black and white or colour and be produced using any technique.

➜ The digital format must be jpg or png, maximum size 5 MB, resolution 150 DPI.

Who may enter?

The competition is open to published and unpublished illustrators, art school students and publishers with their artists.

Prize:

Selected illustrators will have their works featured at the prestigious Bologna Children’s Book Fair, included in the Illustrators Annual, and displayed during the fair and on a subsequent global tour. This exhibition offers immense visibility and the chance to connect with publishers and professionals in the industry.

Entry fees:

Entry fee for the Illustrators Exhibition is 22 EUR (+ VAT if due), except for students who possess a code provided by their art school/course, as they can participate for free.