Estonia will be the guest of honor at the 2025 Bologna Children’s Book Fair, marking the Baltic nation’s first time in the role. A comprehensive program will showcase Estonian children’s literature and illustration through exhibitions, panels, and author presentations.

“This constitutes a rare opportunity to exhibit Estonian authors’ and illustrators’ work on such a grand scale and garner significant international attention,” says Triin Soone, director of the Estonian Children’s Literature Centre.

Estonia’s Children’s Literature Centre in Tallinn is an institution integral to the literary life of the country. Located in a distinctive yellow villa near the medieval Fat Margaret tower in Tallinn’s Old Town, the Centre dates back to 1933 when it was first established as the Youth Library at the Tallinn City Library. It persisted through years of war and later Soviet rule and Estonia’s independence, until it was established in 2007 as a comprehensive hub for children’s literature.

The three-floor facility houses Estonia’s most extensive children’s book collection, a museum chronicling the history of Estonian children’s literature, illustration galleries featuring domestic and international talent, and the Edgar Valter Gallery dedicated to one of the nation’s most beloved illustrators.

The Centre organizes numerous programs including the annual Read Aloud Day and the Hunger for Reading initiative aimed at children ages five through 13. Beyond its domestic role, the Centre serves as Estonia’s primary ambassador for children’s literature on the international stage, supporting translation grants and representing Estonian literature at global book fairs, including in Bologna.

While Estonia has maintained a joint stand at the Bologna fair for 15 years, 2025 marks its first opportunity to present a comprehensive program as Guest of Honor, with funding provided by the Estonian Ministry of Culture.

The Guest of Honor program will feature two major exhibitions: one at the fairgrounds focused on Estonian children’s books and illustrations, and a themed exhibition in the city of Bologna. According to event organizers, the primary objectives include “supporting and amplifying the export of Estonian children’s literature” and “establishing contacts with foreign publishers for the translation and publication of books in foreign countries.”

The four-day program opens with a ceremony to be attended by Estonian president Alar Karis and minister of culture Heidy Purga, followed by the unveiling of the Estonian illustration exhibition Hello!/Tere! featuring work from 40 artists, including Regina Lukk-Toompere, Anne Pikkov, Ulla Saar, Pamela Samel, and Kertu Sillaste.

Notable panels include “Boys Will Be Boys?” exploring gender differences in reading habits, and “John the Skeleton: An International National Treasure,” examining the challenges of translating from a language spoken by relatively few people and focusing on a picture book by Triinu Laan, illustrated by Marja-Liisa Plats, and translated into English by Adam Cullen. John the Skeleton was published in the U.S. by Yonder Books, an imprint of Restless Books, and won the 2025 Batchelder Award, given to the most outstanding children’s book originating in a language other than English.

The program also includes discussions on digital literacy, and one on folklore featuring Estonian writer Reeli Reinaus.

Multiple Meet the Author sessions will be held at the Estonian stand throughout the fair, offering attendees opportunities to connect with creators including Laan, Kristi Kangilaski, Anu Kalm, and Pille Kannisto.

Estonia’s illustration community received recent international acclaim when Joonas Sildre won the Gold Award in the graphic novels and manga category at the 2024 PubWest Book Design Awards for Between Two Sounds: Arvo Pärt’s Journey to His Musical Language. The book is translated by Cullen and published by Plough. Sildre will participate in the fair as part of a panel discussing The Big Book of Pi.

“The guest of honor status gives us a main stage and greater focus, thus providing broader opportunities for promoting children’s literature and authors,” Soone says.

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