Bologna suspends co-operation with Russia on collective stand

Bologna Children’s Book Fair organisers are suspending all co-operation with Russian state institutions in charge of organising the Russian collective stand at this year’s fair.

In a statement issued on 1st March, the organisers said: "The Bologna Children’s Book Fair and its associated brands wish to express their condemnation of Russian aggressions in Ukraine. BCBF can confirm that, with immediate effect, the cooperation with all the Russian state institutions in charge of the organization of the Russian collective stand in the forthcoming fair is suspended. BCBF, BolognaBookPlus and Bologna Licensing Trade Fair have been, and continue to support, the Ukrainian Publisher’s Association and will continue to promote their books, illustrators and writers in their absence at this year’s event. Books across all ages remain a bridge between cultures and never before has the publishing industry, for children and everyone, been more important."

The Italian Publishers Association (AIE) came out in support of Bologna’s move. "It is a painful but necessary decision as a concrete gesture of support to Ukrainian citizenship and to the world of culture in particular which today is suffering from Russian military aggression," said AIE President Ricardo Franco Levi.

"At the same time, we support and applaud the courage of Russian publishers, booksellers, distributors, authors, librarians, translators who, in numbers of more than a thousand, have signed an appeal in favour of peace and for the end of military operations in Ukraine, thus demonstrating their dissent with respect to the choices of President Vladimir Putin. We all know how dangerous in conditions like these manifesting and communicating one’s dissent can be: admiring so much courage, we are close to them."

Frankfurt Book Fair cancelled its collective Russian stand on 28th February in a pledge of solidarity with the Ukrainian people, following Russia’s invasion of the country last week, while the London Book Fair and International Publishers Association (IPA) also condemned the invasion. Authors including Margaret Atwood and Salman Rushdie signed an open letter released by PEN International, in support of Ukraine. 

Peshkom Books is among the Russian publishers which previously had a stand secured at Bologna. In an email sent yesterday on 28th February the Moscow-based press appealed to the international publishing community, stating the company is “against the war with Ukraine”, and asked international publishers “not to confuse our country’s government position with our views as a publishing house”.