Opening Conference for Norway as Guest of Honour in Bologna 2026

Norway will be Guest of Honour at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in 2026. Please join us for the Opening Conference at the Norwegian Festival of Literature in May.

Bologna Children’s Book fair is one of the world’s leading book fairs of its kind. Each year a new country is invited to be Guest of Honour, and in 2026 it is Norway that will hold the prestigious title. The project will be organised by NORLA, and on the 24th May we invite the industry for an kickstart event open to all. Please register here if you would like to join us. We have also got a Facebook event you are welcome to check out.

Where: Festsalen, Kulturhuset Banken, Kirkegata 41

When: 24th of May, 09 AM -12 AM

Programme:

08.30 Arrival and registration

09.00 Reading by Simon Stranger

09.10 Welcome by Director of NORLA Margit Walsø 

09.20 Opening by State Secretary in the Ministry of Culture and Equality, Odin Adelsten Aunan Bohmann.

09.30 Expectations, Excitement, and Export: How to be Guest of Honour in Bologna 2026  

Panelists: Elena Pasoli, Exhibition Manager, Bologna Children’s Book Fair , Cristina Marasti, Iperborea Publishing House, Margit Walsø, Director of NORLA and Evy Tillman, Literary Agent, Oslo Literary Agency. The conversation is led by Arne Vestbø, Chair for NORLA and General Secretary at NFFO.

10.10 Break 

10.40 Boklek by Bjørn F. Rørvik

11.05 Literature from Norway and Italy in a Global Context: Perspectives from Different Parts of the Book Industry 

An authors’ and illustrator’s perspective: Øyvind Torseter

Leser søker bok by Monica Helvig

Heidi Austlid: The Joy of Reading

Piero Attanasio, Head of Public Affairs, Italian Publishers Association

11.45 Round-up

12.00 The program is finished

After the program we invite you to join us for lunch at the café. Hope to see you there!

NB! Changes in the programme might occur.

Upcoming activities

November 14-November 16

Shanghai, China

Norwegian Participation at the Shanghai Children’s Book Fair

NORLA is taking part in the Shanghai Children’s Book Fair with a stand designed for meetings and professional networking. The two illustrators/authors Øyvind Torseter and Marianne Gretteberg Engedal (Skinkeape) will participate in the fair’s professional program and panel discussions. Both also serve on the jury for the Norwegian illustration exhibition at Bologna 2026.
In addition, several Norwegian publishers/agents will take part.

The initiative is carried out in collaboration with the Royal Norwegian Consulate in Shanghai.

December 3-December 5

Rome, Italy

Networking Event and Launch of the Guest of Honour Program during the Rome Book Fair Più libri più liberi

The book fair Più libri più liberi is dedicated to small and medium-sized publishers, and NORLA is looking forward to participating for the second time – focusing on Norway’s Guest of Honour initiative at Bologna 2026 and on Norwegian children’s literature in general. And just like last year, we are hosting a networking event and gearing up for Bologna 2026 by launching the Guest of Honour concept and program. Also, Norwegian agents will take part in the fair’s fellowship and/or be present in the rights centre. The program is organized in collaboration with the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Rome.

In the lead-up to the book fair, we are organizing a full-day seminar for Italian translators and Norwegian language students from the University of Milan. The seminar will take place at Casa delle Traduzioni, and participants will have the opportunity to meet author and illustrator Malin Falch. The sessions will be led by established Italian translators of Norwegian literature.