Bologna Book Fair 2026 – summary

Forty-four Polish exhibitors presented themselves in the space organized by the Book Institute during both events. The collective booth showcased offerings from: Agora Książka i Muzyka, Albus Wydawnictwo, Banana Panda, Blask, Bumcykcyk, Czytaj Dzieciom, Czytalisek, Druganoga, DTagency, Dwie Siostry, Emi i Tajny Klub Super Dziewczyn, Foksal, Glossa, Kici Nici, Kropka, Literatura, Mamania, Bajeczna, Media Rodzina, MMIP, Muchomor, Malwa, National Frederic Chopin Institute, Nasza Księgarnia, Natuli, NCK, Poradnia K, Publicat, PWM edition, Skórka Pomarańczy, Skrzat, Studio Koloru, Tabula Rasa, Tatarak, Widnokrąg, Wydawnictwo Kobiece, Wytwórnia, Zielona Sowa and Znak. The Bologna Book Plus booth – dedicated to the adult-book industry – hosted Wydawnictwo Poznańskie, Marginesy, Znak, Powergraph and Czarna Owca. Special mention goes to Rafał Kosik, who this year served as author-ambassador.

As every year during the fair, the catalog “Polish Books for Children 2026” premiered, allowing foreign publishers to discover outstanding Polish books for young readers published in the past year.

We also presented books awarded by the IBBY section and selected titles translated with the support of our ©Poland Translation Programme.

B2B conversations were accompanied by a rich program prepared by the Book Institute, which included panels on the future of children’s literature, youth readership, as well as discussions on legal issues in the context of artificial intelligence and on designing an original publishing program.

The Institute also coordinated the presence of Polish representatives of the comics industry in the dedicated Comics Corner, and at the Bologna Book Plus booth the work of Przemek Truściński, Jacek Świdziński and Krzysztof Gawronkiewicz was presented. The above-mentioned comic creators, together with Gosia Kulik, introduced the audience to the history and most interesting phenomena of Polish comics (the meeting was hosted by Szymon Holcman, owner and editor-in-chief of the Kultura Gniewu publishing house).

The Polish delegation at the International Bologna Book Fair 2026 looked particularly impressive. Among the guests were outstanding illustrators and authors, including Katarzyna Augustyniak, Julia Bardziejewska, Marta Kopyt, Klaudia Majdowska, Aga Probola, Joanna Bartosik, Agata Dudek, Kasia Walentynowicz, Zosia Dzierżawska, Kasia Minasowicz and Aleksandra Artymowska.

Poland to be Guest of Honour in Bologna 2027

This year’s edition served as a preview of next year’s events. On Wednesday, 15 April, the title of Guest of Honour of Bologna Book Plus and the Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2027 was ceremonially handed over to Poland. Poland was represented by Grzegorz Jankowicz, director of the Book Institute; Olga Brzezińska, deputy director of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute; curator of next year’s exhibition Magdalena Kłos-Podsiadło; and curator of the city programme Anita Wincencjusz-Patyna. The discussion, led by the director of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair Elena Pasoli, also included representatives from Norway, including Margit Walsø, director of NORLA.

Four days full of meetings and backstage conversations culminated in an extraordinary work titled “POLIMAGINATION”. Throughout the fair Polish illustrators creatively interpreted the slogan of next year’s edition. The results of their work can be seen in the photo gallery.

***

Activities related to Poland’s presence as Guest of Honour were co-funded by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage under the project “Poland as Guest of Honour – Bologna Children‘s Book Fair and Bologna Book Plus 2027”.