Bologna Children’s Book Fair Illustrators Exhibition 2024

Bologna Children’s Book Fair Illustrators Exhibition 2024 now is over!

Bologna Children’s Book Fair Illustrators Exhibition 2024: Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF) is calling for applications for the 2024 Illustrators Exhibition, a unique international showcase for state-of-the-art trends in illustrations for children and young adults.

➜ Short description

Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF) is calling for applications for the 2024 Illustrators Exhibition.

This Illustrators Exhibition is a unique international showcase for state-of-the-art trends in illustrations for children and young adults.

This exceptional event, hosted annually, provides a unique opportunity for illustrators to gain international recognition, forge valuable connections with publishers, and elevate their careers within the vibrant realm of children’s literature.

Applications are open to:

➜ Illustrators, professionals and beginners can enter unpublished artwork, or artwork published in the previous two years.
➜ Art schools can enter the most interesting innovative projects by students who have attended their Institute.
➜ Publishers can enter illustrators they work with.
➜ The Illustrators Exhibition is a showcase for the latest trends in illustration and talent spotting new artists held during Bologna Children’s Book Fair, launched in 1967.

The Jury will make a first selection, choosing approximately 300 finalists and then the final selection of the winners whose names will be published on the Bologna Children’s Book Fair website by the end of January 2024.

Being selected will give illustrators great visibility with the publication of their works in the Illustrators Annual and the 2-year world tour of the exhibition.

➜ Submission requirements:

➜ The 5 artworks must be based on the same theme, and must be numbered, as preferred, from 1 to 5 on the digital format file. The number of artworks (5) is mandatory.

➜ The 5 illustrations – 5, no more, no less - may be unpublished artwork or artwork published after 1 January 2022. The work can be in black and white or colour and be produced using any technique.

➜ The digital format must be: jpg or png, maximum size 5 MB, resolution 150 DPI.

➜ Who may enter?

Illustrators of any nationality born before December 31, 2006, creating artwork for children’s books can enter either directly or through schools/courses of art. Artwork can be unpublished or published after January 1, 2022.

➜ Prize:

The Bologna Children’s Book Fair – Fundación SM International Award for Illustration will be presented to the best illustrator under 35, including a 15,000 EUR prize and the opportunity to illustrate a children’s book for Grupo SM, Spain. Additional opportunities include the ARS IN FABULA Grant Award for those under 30 and the chance to design the trade show’s Visual Identity for the following year.

➜ Entry fees:

Entry fee for the Illustrators Exhibition is 22 EUR (+ VAT if due), except for students who possess a code provided by their art school/course, as they can participate for free.