The Bologna Children’s Book Fair has yielded to protests and reinstated the fourth day of the event. The 2010 fair will now take place from Tuesday to Friday, March 23—26.

A group of U.K. publishers petitioned Bologna after they had learned that the 2010 fair had been scheduled to take place over three days rather than the usual four. Gloria Bailey, manager of international book fairs at the Publishers Association, met Bologna Fair director Roberta Chinni at the recent Beijing Book Fair, and learned that the fair had also received complains about the curtailment from publishers in France, Switzerland and Australia. Chinni agreed to take up the matter with her colleagues.

Bologna is to issue a press release and will update its Web site shortly.

Bailey’s letter to Publishers Association members read in part:


Outside the Bologna pavilions, on a sunny Fair day.

As you will have seen in the trade press, publishers were surprised that this fair was shortened without any consultation with the exhibitors. As a result, a petition signed by a large number of UK publishers was sent to Bologna in protest. Most publishers felt that three days was just not enough time for them to carry out their business, and they would find it difficult to justify the considerable expense involved for a three day event.

Whist at the Beijing International Book Fair earlier this month, Ms. Roberta Chinni from the Bologna Children¹s Book Fair agreed to meet me to discuss the matter. During that meeting I learnt that UK publishers were not alone, as she had received complaints from France, Switzerland and Australia. The meeting with Ms. Chinni was cordial and she made it clear that in light of our discussion she would take the matter up with her colleagues when she returned to Italy.

Bailey also informed PA members that 2010 prices would not be increased, despite the addition of the fourth day; that the early-bird discount has been extended to October 30; and that the fair would be much stricter than it has in the past with exhibitors who pack up their stands early, in that it disturbs other publishers still holding meetings.