The Philippines returns to the world’s foremost event for children’s books, the Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF) which will be held from March 31 to April 3 at the BolognaFiere Exhibition Centre in Italy.
The country’s delegation will be led by the National Book Development Board (NBDB), with support from the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) and the International Board on Books for Young People Philippines (IBBY PH).
“This is another win for our children’s book sector, which is an enduring and vital part of our book industry. If our participation at the BCBF last year was an introduction to our children’s books, this year, we’re expanding our participation with
a larger book curation focused on themes that represent the true nature of Philippine children’s stories: progressive, endlessly curious, and consider children as smart, imaginative readers with a great sense of agency,” said NBDB executive director Charisse Aquino-Tugade.
This year, the Philippine participation will include 120 titles that explore a variety of themes, including Philippine culture, diversity, environmental awareness, and sense of self and community. This selection of early readers, middle grade, and young adult books that feature both old and new voices in the Philippine children’s book sector, highlighting the authors and illustrators behind one of the country’s most widely read and translated genres.
Additionally, the Philippines will host an art workshop for children at the Philippine Embassy in Rome from 3-5 p.m. on March 29; and from 4-6 p.m. on April 1 at the Philippine Collective Stand. A welcome reception will be hosted by Ambassador Nathaniel G. Imperial and Consul General Elmer G. Cato, along with other representatives from the Philippine Embassy in Rome and the Philippine Consulate in Milan.
In addition to these, the Philippines is supporting a special Happy Hour event called Drink & Draw with the Philippines, organized by German Stories and the Frankfurter Buchmesse. This will take place on April 1, 2025, at 5 p.m. on April 1 in Hall 30, B24-C11.
