Children's laureates promote representation and minority languages at Bologna

Representation, access to books and the importance of creating literature in minority languages were recurring themes in an event held at yesterday’s Bologna Children’s Book Fair where children’s laureates from seven countries took to the stage.

Moderated by children’s book journalist and events programmer, Julia Eccleshare, each representative was given the chance to present the aims of their laureateship programme. These included Ireland’s Laureate na nÓg, Áine Ní Ghlinn, who described herself as “the first children’s laureate in Ireland who writes exclusively in Irish”, Wales’ Bardd Plant Cymru, Casi Wyn, and Friesland’s Berneboeke ambassadeur Fryslân, Tialda Hoogeveen, who all spoke about the challenges of promoting minority languages in their countries, as well as the need to push for change.

Ní Ghlinn said she was trying to “lift the invisibility cloak” off Irish children’s writing during her tenure and particularly wanted children to have access to reading for pleasure in Irish, while Hoogeveen said: “Children have the right to read in their own language.”

Nioosha Shams, Sweden’s Sveriges läsambassadör, also touched on the importance of children keeping a connection with their mother tongue during her presentation, and highlighted her work with teenagers, who she feels are “often overlooked in these spaces”. Italy’s Children’s Laureate, Susanna Mattiangeli, also highlighted overlooked communities as she outlined her mission to meet as many children, teachers and librarians as possible in her home country, particularly those in the south of Italy, where there are “not as many libraries and bookshops”.

Representation was another talking point among the speakers. Australia’s Children’s Laureate Gabrielle Wang, who is fourth-generation Australian of Chinese heritage, said that all children should be represented in literature and drew on her own experiences growing up.

Wang said: “I never read myself as a hero in books when I was young”. Similarly, Joseph Coelho—the UK’s Waterstones Children’s Laureate—spoke of his ambition for every young person to see themselves as a writer, illustrator, editor or agent, and discussed his Bookmaker Like You project, which introduces children to a range of creatives within the book industry, as well as his work promoting poetry and libraries.

Coelho reflected on the commonalities between all of the laureates on stage: “We have lots of overlap and realise the power of literature in engaging young people.” Eccleshare closed the event by sharing the hope that it would inspire other countries to introduce their own children’s laureates or ambassadors.