The 2025 edition of China Shanghai International Book Fair — a sister to the annual Bologna Fiere event — runs November 14 to 16. Image: BolognaFiere
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
‘A Bridge Between Eastern and Western’
With more than 50,000 visitors expected, “CCBF” 2025 is a leading event in the Asia-Pacific region dedicated to high-quality children’s books and content.
The show continues to serve as a bridge between Eastern and Western children’s publishing, promoting Chinese original titles worldwide and showcasing new talent from China and the Asia-Pacific region.
More than 200 international exhibitors from 35 countries and regions will be present, including Belgium, Canada, France, Japan, Malaysia, Norway, Poland, Russia, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.
Within this international framework, Italy is also expected to play a prominent role, with a large collective stand organized by the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) and numerous individual participants.
Special areas curated by BCBF will also return this year, including the Asia Pacific New Entry Lounge, and visitors will find those publishers featured in some of BCBF’s most prestigious awards: the BOP Lounge, Strega Lounge, and, new for 2025, the BRAW Crossmedia Lounge.
Bologna’s Fast-Growing Reach Through Illustration
Image: CCBF and Bologna 2024
A comprehensive guide for the 500 or more exhibitors is here. Those in the world book-publishing business will also recognize many high-profile guests, including:
- Gvantsa Jobava (president, IPA), Basarat Kazim (president, IBBY), Matthew Forsythe, Steven Guarnaccia, Alessandro Sanna, GUD, Leo Timmers, and Taro Gomi Yoshitake.
- Marianne Gretteberg Engedal and Øyvind Torseter will also take part in the exclusive preview event announcing Norway as the Guest of Honour at BCBF 2026.
- Among others at CCBF are are anticipated to be Sydney Smith and Yoshitake Shinsuke.
Based in the traditions of more than 6o years of BolognaFiere’s development, there are, of course, multiple exhibitions on tap.
CCBF will shine a spotlight on comics with the special exhibition Children Plus–Comics: Exploring the World, One Bubble at a Time program. The show will feature some 200 outstanding Chinese and international titles, while a dedicated panel will explore the use of comics as an educational tool.
The winners of the Golden Pinwheel Illustration Exhibition will also be announced, showcasing 69 finalist works by talented young illustrators to watch. CCBF will also host the third edition of Chinese Excellence in Children’s Illustration, a series of exhibitions organized by BCBF/BolognaFiere, China South Publishing & Media Group Co. Ltd, and Sidee Cultural Communication Company, celebrating the best of contemporary Chinese illustration. Following the announcement of the finalists on Saturday, November 15, the juries will meet to select the winners, who will be revealed in Bologna in April.
A newly launched “Spotlight on New Books” will present 2025’s latest publishing releases, featuring book launches and author signings.
At the BCBF stand, visitors will discover IBBY Italia Choice 2025, the fourth curated selection of Italian children’s publishing, featuring titles that stand out for their literary and visual quality, as well as narrative and formal originality.
Finally, at the Everafter stand (5D06), watch for a special display celebrating Sydney Smith, winner of the 2024 Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration, showcasing a selection of his books published around the world in multiple languages.
And we’ll have many more details going forward.
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