Graphic novels and YA take spotlight at Bologna 2023

Graphic novels and Young Adult titles, especially in the romance and fantasy genres, are the top trends that foreign publishers and agents are looking for at this year’s Bologna Children’s Book Fair, while there is a strong presence from the film and television industries.  

Rebecca McNally, publishing director, children’s books at Bloomsbury, has noticed a “strong hunger for YA ‘romantasy’”, though she worries that this area of the market may be “reaching saturation point”. Bloomsbury’s new middle-grade graphic novel series by Irish author-illustrator Sheena Dempsey, Pablo and Splash, has garnered attention, as has Michael Rosen and Daniel Egnéus’ picture book, The Big Dreaming. Reflecting on her conversations with international publishers, McNally feels that, despite concerns about economic crises, the publisher is still “committed to finding big projects”.  

Echoing McNally, The Bent Agency’s Molly Ker Hawn reported “lots and lots of interest in YA”, though middle-grade remains strong. Similarly, Usborne’s fiction editorial director Rebecca Hill and senior commissioning editor Sarah Stewart have noticed an increased focus on YA thanks to its popularity on TikTok. YA romance is particularly sought after, with Hill and Stewart highlighting the subgenres of "cursed romance" and speculative romance. Hill feels there is “definitely a trend for spooky stuff emerging” and reports conversations about “where thrillers could go next, because the market is so saturated” as well as “lot of talk about graphic novels”.  Knights Of m.d. Aimée Felone said: “Everyone is mentioning graphic novels as an important area that we should be paying attention to”. 

Jenny Broom, joint m.d./publisher at Magic Cat, said: “Foreign publishers are coming to us reporting strong Christmas sales and stable markets despite the challenges they are facing. They are hesitant to overstock and are doubling down on their core values, making sure they choose books that feel unique to their own lists, rather than chasing trends.”

Broom added that Magic Cat is currently having particular success with novelty titles such as joke book Knock Knock and its new mindful graphic novel, Dr Diplo’s Guide to Feeling Roarsome.

McNally noted that there are several representatives from the film and TV industries at the fair this year. This is backed up by Sarah McPhee, head of events and CSR communications at HarperCollins Children’s Books UK, who reported that the team on the ground had received “lots of interest in film and TV rights meetings”.