the stand Catalonia, land of books. Barcelona, city of Literaturewhich shelters up to 48 publishing houses and 38 Catalan illustrators, aims to give a joint image of the sector to international professionals traveling to the Bologna International Children’s Book Fair and, at the same time, to offer Catalan professionals a business space where they can carry out their activities at the fair with maximum facilities. The stand, organized by the Catalan Institute of Cultural Enterprises through the Catalan Arts brand and the Guild of Publishers of Cataloniaalso hosts representatives of theAPIC – Professional Association of Illustrators of Cataloniaof theCatalan Language Publishers Association and the Ramon Llull Institute.
In addition, for the first time IBBY.cat – representing in Catalonia the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) through the Organización Española para el Libro Infantil y Juvenil (OEPLI), of which it is a founding member – will have a space at the institutional stand of the Catalan Institute of Cultural Enterprises (ICEC) from where they will promote the IBBY World Congress 2028, which will take place in Barcelona.
The 48 publishers working at the ICEC stand (Hall 29 / Stand D8 – E7) are: Akiara books; Animal books; Barcanova Editorial; Bindi Books; Blackie Books; Bold letters; Carambuco Ediciones / El Cep i la Nansa / Edita / Kairat; Coco Books, Cossetània Edicions; Editions 62 (Estrella Polar / Fanbooks); Editions of the oak of can roca ® & Rock Oak Press; Editions Paper d’Estrassa; Editorial Casals (Combel & Bambú); Editorial the Pirate; Editorial Windows; Editorial Flamboyant; Editorial Youth; Editorial Mediterranean; Publisher Nanit; Sat Nam Publishing; Editorial Stenella; Publishing Vicens Vives; Flor Editions (Base Publishing); La Galera / Elastic Books; La Topera Editorial; Lupita Books; Mosquito Books Barcelona; MTM Publishers; Editorial Standard; Editorial Workshop; Picarona / Ediciones Obelisco; Sow Books; Shackleton Kids; Dreams; Takatuka; Tramuntana Editorial; Vegueta Editions; Yekibud Editoresi Zahorí Books. Between them they represent several publishing labels.
The 38 illustrators traveling to the fair are: Almudena Suárez Jiménez, Anna Ruiz, Antonio José Ordóñez Cambra, Belén Perea Fernández, Berta Cusó Cuquerella, Blanca Caminal Comadira, Canizales, Christian Inaraja Genís, Cris Badalona, Cristina Curto Teixidó, Desiree Arancibia, Elena Losada Mansilla, Elena Mompó, Gemma Contreras, Glàfira Smith, Isabel Aniel, Jessica Piqueras, Judy Kaufmann, Laia Codina, Laura Cerrillo Soler, Laura Orri, Laura Tamarit, Luna Ochoa Moliner, Maite Sujar Roca, María Palet Tort, María Tolken, Maribel Castells, Mercè Galí, Mireia Aleu Barangé, Mireia Pons Lupiàñez, Montserrat Fortino Segura, Nuria Zaragoza, Rosa Pérez Nebreda, Roser Argemí i Batlle, Saioa Aginako, Sílvia Vallhonrat, Sònia Albert, Tania Manzanal and Vanesa Rovira ardent All are members of the Professional Association of Illustrators of Catalonia (APIC).
To give greater publicity to Catalan participation in the Bologna fair, the ICEC has published a booklet with the information of the publishers, associations and institutions participating in the fair and which will be distributed to accredited professionals. At the same time, also as part of the work of international dissemination of the Catalan illustration sector, Catalan Arts makes available to professionals resident in the country a digital catalogwhich aims to be a useful consultation tool for professionals and to promote knowledge and exchange. This catalog currently offers a sample of the work of 255 illustrators, both established and new creators, interested in making themselves known and promoting their work to professional audiences.
With the aim, precisely, of promoting the work of the illustrators present in Bologna, within the framework of the fair space, on Monday 13 April the ICEC and the APIC have collaborated to organize a match-making meeting with those responsible for the ‘The Illustrators Survival Corner‘ of the fair. In this meeting, Catalan illustrators will have the opportunity to present their dossier to international publishers. Afterwards, a cocktail will be offered together with a networking space at the same ICEC stand to promote international contacts. In addition, the symbolic act of handing over books to the Munich Library will be repeated, following the example of the action promoted last year by Councilor Sonia Hernández Almodóvar in this Italian city.
In addition, ‘I’m a cyclopeta’a Catalan illustrated album project by Martí Alcón and Emilia Esteban, has been selected by the fair within the Dpictus International Showcase where picture book creators from around the world present their unpublished projects to be judged by a large jury of top international publishers. Additionally, these projects are submitted online to hundreds of publishers within the community dPICTUS. Projects featured in previous editions have been acquired by publishers around the world, and many of the participating artists have attracted the interest of publishers and literary agents. The play ‘I’m a cyclopeta’ is also a puppet show which is currently on tour.
On the other hand, theRamon Llull Institute it will have a space designed to host professional meetings with literary agents and international publishers. Throughout more than 70 scheduled meetings, the resources and services available to foreign professionals in the children’s and youth book sector will be made known, as well as the new notebook dedicated to this literature, which collects 20 recently published titles that present an overview of themes, trends and styles, as well as an outstanding collection of publishers, agents, writers and illustrators.
It should also be noted that The Braw Amazing Bookshelf, the renowned exhibition at the Fair that presents a careful selection of 150 children’s books from around the world, includes five titles illustrated by Catalan artists:
– Cristina Sardà, The cow, the doctor and the gardener’s son(The Cow, the Doctor and the Gardener’s Son), Fulgencio Pimentel, Spain, 2025
– Cristian Robles, Eye pain(Evil Eye), Bang & Mamut comics, Spain, 2024
– Javier Gonzalez, Louis, Mi Padre is a Hombre Lobo(My Dad is a Werewolf), Pastel de Luna, Spain, 2025
– Alfonso Ochoa, Enrique Rodríguez, Little giants(Little Giants), Alboroto ediciones, Mexico, 2025
– Julia Sardà, The Witch in the Tower(The Witch in the Tower), Walker Books, United Kingdom, 2025
The presence of Catalan publishers and illustrators at this fair is part of the line of actions carried out by the Department of Culture to promote Catalan literature and the internationalization of publishers and illustrators in this field. With this aim, the Department of Culture regularly attends the major professional meetings of the book sector, in particular the London Book Fair, the Buenos Aires Book Fair, the Frankfurt Book Fair and the Guadalajara International Book Fair (Mexico).
