- Starting with the basics: absolutely buy your ticket before you arrive – there’s a mad queue on the first day.
- Get a map of the Fair. Even old stagers get lost – It’s VAST!
- Create and bring business cards or postcards with your name, website and/or social media handle on them. These are a brilliant visual representation of your identity as an illustrator, so they’re good to have in case you meet publishers and/or agents. But, if the specific publisher/agent you’re hoping to see is super busy, you can always leave your postcards or cards with the receptionists! (Side note: be very polite when you chat to the receptionists – they have the power to help you or hinder you!)
- It’s also great to swap postcards/cards with other illustrators. Remember, it’s easy to feel isolated working by and for yourself as an illustrator, so it’s important and helpful to build your own community of artists.
- With that in mind, before the Fair, make contact with friends/other illustrators who are also going, so you can look out for each other and have fun together. And if you’re going solo, don’t worry, just make your way to the Illustrators’ Corner at the Fair – it’s a great place to meet people!
- Bring a notebook and take notes – with so much going on, when you get home it’s easy to feel like the Fair was all one big, brilliant blur. Taking notes as you go, or at the end of each day, can help you remember key takeaways.
- The days can be long, so comfort is key! If you’re walking, wear comfy shoe that can take you long distances inside the Fair (the halls are enormous!) and around the city. Pack some blister plasters just in case and take a backpack with you – your shoulders will thank you.
- The Fair is busy and bustling, and this on top of lots of exploring can be tiring, so bring snacks for a mid-afternoon pick me up, drink lots of water, and don’t skip lunch (you’re in Italy, remember!). And for people who are overstimulated easily, you might want to bring earplugs or headphones.
- Take advantage of the fact that on Thursdays, a lot of people and stalls have packed up to go home, which can give you a chance to peruse the exhibitions and see the artworks and books up close and at your own pace.
- On the busiest days, buses that go from the city up to the Fair can get completely rammed – it’s not uncommon to actually be pushed in. (If you really hate the idea of being a sardine, you can walk, but it’ll take about 30 minutes and it’s not exactly pretty.) Note: it’s much cheaper if you buy a book of bus tickets (biglietti) from a tobacconist shop rather than paying by card each day.
- Just as it’s helpful to set intentions for what you hope to gain from the Fair, it’s also useful to set yourself intentions for what you’d like to do each day because it makes it a lot less overwhelming if you have a bit of a plan! For example, Monday: see publishers / queue for portfolio reviews; Tuesday: see publishers / talks and workshops; Wednesday: morning in Bologna, afternoon at the Fair to buy books; Thursday: see the exhibition
- It’s important to note that talks and reviews book up fast, so get online asap and book in advance. Study the website too; It’s well worth it.
- Plan rest breaks; plan food breaks; plan time outside of the Fair, and be flexible with your plans!
Picture Hooks’ Guide to Bologna: Advice for First Timers
Posted on February 12, 2026
The dates have been announced, flights are being booked, and tickets are on sale – the world’s biggest Children’s Book Fair awaits!
If this next Bologna Book Fair is your first ever and you don’t know what to expect, or you’re feeling frazzled at just the thought of it, fear not! We at Picture Hooks are all about giving emerging illustrators a helping hand.
So, we’ve asked around our wonderful network of illustrators, authors, publishers and agents, who have helped us put together a handy list of tips, tricks, do’s, don’ts and must-sees to help you make the most of your trip.
Work out why you’re going
First off, it’s a question that’s simple but often overlooked: why are you are going?
Spend a little time thinking about this or you could easily end up feeling confused or overwhelmed when you arrive. Do you want to see something or someone specific? For example, do you want to connect with a specific publisher? Attend a particular workshop? Are you hoping to have a portfolio review?
It’s always helpful to set intentions for your trip, and if your intention is just to explore the Fair and see the sights of Bologna, then that’s okay!
Bear in mind that publishers/agents are all there to sell rights, and to do business with other publishers. They have very tight timetables, and they rarely have time to chat to hopeful illustrators. You have to look online and check when/if they are holding portfolio reviews – they aren’t sitting around waiting to meet new talent, so it may not be possible to see the publisher you love the best.
On the subject of portfolio reviews, think about what works best for you because it really is a personal decision. Some illustrators think, if there’s a particular agent or publisher you want to talk to, having your work reviewed at the Fair is great experience; others believe, if you don’t have someone specific in mind to see, it can be more useful to seek out online reviews after the Fair. The queues are long (potentially hours) and it depends how you want to spend your time.
Figuring out why you’re going will also obviously help you know what to pack, which leads us on to the next tip.
Come prepared
Bologna Book Fair is one of the few times a year when so many people who are passionate about children’s books are in one place, which can be a great opportunity for emerging and established illustrators alike.
Save room for books
Remember, picture books are the reason you’re there in the first place, and there’ll be so many wonderful books at your fingertips, so buy some if you can, and bring a bag to carry them in!
Head to the bookshop inside the Fair early, and if you see a book you like – buy it! Some books will sell out really quickly.
Venture out of the Fair to visit Libreria per ragazzi Giannino Stoppani, the bookshop on Piazza Maggiore, for some market research – keeping up to date with what’s on the shelves and the type of books your dream publisher is producing are important if you want to be a published illustrator yourself. The bookshop also often hosts an illustration exhibition during the Fair, which can be an excellent source of inspiration.
Make your own agenda
This year, the Fair runs from Monday 13th April to Thursday 16th April. Thursdays are usually the quietest days at the Fair, and Tuesdays can be the busiest.
Don’t put too much pressure on yourself
To be somewhere where you’re surrounded by the work of talented and established illustrators, authors, designers can be a double edged sword – it’s easy to be inspired, and it’s equally as easy to be intimidated, but it’s your choice how you frame it to yourself.
If you’re passionate and determined to pursue a career in children’s books, then a good mindset to approach the Fair with is ‘there’s a place in this industry for everyone’, because there is. Remember, publishers and agents need illustrators, just as much as illustrators need them.
Try to frame the experience as a chance to learn more about the industry, maybe get some feedback if you can, soak up the inspiration that is everywhere, and meet new likeminded people. Go with the mindset that you’re there to learn, not with the view that you absolutely must make a connection that will lead to getting published immediately.
And don’t take any rejection to heart. it’s good to bear in mind that what doesn’t appeal to one publisher may be just the thing that another publisher is looking for!
“To be able to see so many children’s books from around the world, all in one place, whilst knowing that this is a modicum of what’s out there was incredible. It helped me to see where my art style might fit – which publishers it would fit well with, and who I might like to work with…Whilst it is incredibly easy to compare yourself to all the amazing illustrators’ work and think you are not good enough, I was ok with believing that one day my work will be on show there too – something to aim for.” Jacqui Mulvagh, Illustrator
Remember to experience Bologna!
Bologna is such a beautiful, vibrant and historic city with so much to offer aside from the Fair. Taking time to explore the city is a great way to combat any feelings of overwhelm at the vastness of the Fair. For example, while you’re in the Piazza checking out the bookshop, make time for an Aperol Spritz or gelato and live the Italian saying, Dolce far Niente – the sweetness of doing nothing.
A piece of advice that we at Picture Hooks hear from the successful illustrators, publishers and agents that we work with is, draw from life. A bustling city lit by spring sunshine is a perfect place to practice your drawing, whether it’s buildings, people, dogs, plants, bikes, food, it’s too good an opportunity to miss. And we’ve heard from so many attendees that the illustrators who seem to have the most fun in Bologna go drawing together in the city.
Remember, it’s so much easier to be creative when you can relax, have fun and enjoy yourself. It’s not every day you get to be in Italy for something you love to do, surrounded by the industry you’re passionate about
We hope this guide has helped, whether it’s your second, 40th, or first time ever at the Fair. Eat well, rest-up, have fun, buy some books, take it all in – enjoy yourself! And if you can’t make it to Bologna 2026, don’t worry – there’s always next year.
With thanks to Jacqui Mulvagh (@jacquimulvagh), Matilda Robertson (@matilda_robo), Rosalyn Burroughs (@made.by.ros), and Emma Carlilse (@emmacarlilse_) for sharing their thoughts with us.