Bologna Children's Book Fair to host the biennial Conference of International Book Fair Directors

Bologna Children’s Book Fair will host the Conference of International Book Fair Directors to foster an "international debate" on issues concerning publishing fairs.

The conference will be held between 10th and 12th June, with the aim to create ties between the directors of book fairs around the world. The first edition of the event was held in Bellagio in 1994, and the group meets every year in Frankfurt and, every two years, as a guest at one of the fair venues.

The topics that will be discussed include legislative changes, the rise of YA literature, the decline of independent bookshops, rising costs, and balancing innovation with maintaining an identity. The choice of the guest of honour country will also be a topic this year, as will the global political landscape, and more.

Participating in the 2024 edition together with Bologna Children’s Book Fair are Frankfurter Buchmesse, Guadalajara International Book Fair, and China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair, as well as New Delhi World Book Fair, Istanbul Book Fair, Book World Prague, Taipei International Book Exhibition, Leipziger Buchmesse, and the Warsaw International Book Fair.