Bologna Children’s Book Fair : Travel Blog
Happy happy Spring you lovely pumpkins. How has this new season been treating you? I’ve been so ready to update you all on my whirlwind trip to Bologna Book Fair, so I’m finally doing just that!
I was wildly lucky to be able to pitch my portfolio to Italian and English publishers while I was there, as well as exploring the city with my friend from university. The marathon two days included portfolio reviews, a bookshop party, live music, a late night gallery visit and of course, pasta. I can’t tell you how much fun it was to meet fellow illustrators from around the world, as well as writers, art directors and editors, all passionate about children’s illustration. It was just a dream. Now I’m back home I realise what I miss most is the feeling of community, an excitement that everyone seemed to share. I’m still holding on to those fleeting emotions weeks later, and I hope to go back one day in the future, even better with my own published book!
For now though, I thought I’d share some memories from the trip…
Day One
We stayed near the centre of the city, in the sweetest boutique hotel painted a custard-yellow colour. After breakfast we took a 40 minute bus ride to the Piazza della Costituzione. If you’ve experienced the book fair you’ll know what I mean when I say my initial reaction was overwhelm! There was so much goodness to see and explore and to take in that it almost felt surreal. I spent most of the morning looking at the illustrator’s wall (which was already full by the time we arrived!) and exhibition spaces. The work on display was incredible and so varied - I particularly loved the expressive and vibrant exhibition from Suzy Lee. Later I scoured the bookshop in the adjacent hall for foreign titles I could bring home with me, and I had my first portfolio review with Nosy Crow! I was also invited to a book event that evening at Giannino Stoppani by my friend and writer Giulia, aftwer which we stumbled across a tiny restaurant off the main square for a bowl of delicious pasta (so good that I forgot to get the name of the restaurant!) Originally we planned to visit the fair on the Monday, and explore Bologna on the Tuesday, but my friend and I both knew as soon as we left on the first day that we’d have to come back again the next day, no matter how tired we were!
Day Two
The second day began with a morning crit with Edizioni Primavera, who afterwards gifted me this beautiful picture book from their collection by David Merveille. We also explored the incredible Hong Kong and Korean section, which had some of the most beautiful and interesting designs I wish I could have brought home. We also binged on gelato; my selection from the trip included Sicilian lemon (So. Good.) tiramisu and egg custard flavour!! Later, we headed into Bologna’s centre and walked through the mosaicked porticoes and cobbled streets until dusk. It really is a beautiful city; a perfect balance of historic architecture and artsy culture spots. Some areas in a way reminded me of Manchester’s Northern Quarter which I never would have expected. Perhaps this is the case with most Northern cities, or perhaps it was just the graffiti. For the evening’s food of choice, we discovered Bottega Portici which was like fast-food, but for pasta!
There was much to love about my time in Bologna, from the people to the food to the atmosphere of the city. A highlight of my year for sure. If you ever get the chance to go to the book fair - do it!
Since returning home…
*While visiting the fair I was fortunate enough to meet to Roberto Innocenti, an illustrator who creates beautifully detailed artwork for Italian children’s books. His illustrations for The Nutcracker are absolutely stunning. All of them created in oils too!
*I began reading The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa on the plane and so far have really enjoyed it. A review on Good Reads describes it as hypnotic and gentle, which I think is the perfect description.
*Two of the picture books I came home with include this one by Beatrice Cerocchi and another by Ericavale Morello, which was very kindly gifted to me by my friend Giulia. Both are divine.
*Superhuman has also been my go-to app for meditation this year. There are so many meditation styles on there whether you’re working, cleaning or just want to vibe to the music. It’s a really accessible form of meditation and I highly recommend!
As always, thank you for being here. I’ll be sharing more projects over the coming months which I’m very excited about, so stay tuned!
C x