Bright at Bologna Children's Book Fair 2025

last updated 03 April 2025

Our agents took to the halls of Bologna Children’s Book Fair, pitching concepts and sharing our latest artist’s portfolios and the verve and energy was palpable.

As our Founder and CEO Vicki Willden-Lebrecht said “I think to have a city that is where anyone in the world working in children’s publishing comes and has come - it has got such a generational, established rite of passage. If you are in Children’s Publishing, and you work anywhere in the world, you are here in Bologna. To have everyone in one place, I think it’s really remarkable. It’s a real, unique wonder.”

Joining Vicki was our Global Managing Director James Burns, Managing Agent Nicky Lander, Head of Bright Children’s Illustration Robyn Newton and BCI Agent Márcia Sousa - who were all in the Bologna Fiere halls to pitch new projects to both clients old and new.

Like the rest of the Children’s publishing world, Bologna has been a mainstay of our annual calendar, and over our 22 Years we have celebrated countless deals that have turned our illustrators from budding artists into world-renowned names.

And, as ever, we celebrated our amazing artist’s and clients with our annual Bright Drinks Party, this year hosted at the beautiful Royal Carlton Hotel - and this year we had a lot to celebrate, including the news of more Bizzy Bear titles from Benji Davies and Nosy Crow, the announcement of Nik Nak Bunny from Carys Bexington and Simon and Schuster among a plethora of other exciting deals.

Take a look below at our highlight’s from the 62nd Bologna Children’s Book Fair.

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Our latest portfolios were being showcased at this year’s fair and are bursting with brand-new, brilliant artwork. Want to see the new collections? Get in contact here.