We are very pleased that Norway will be the Guest of Honour at the world’s largest children’s and young adult book fair, the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, in 2026. Norwegian children’s and young adult literature is rich in both expression and genres and addresses a wide range of themes that engage readers of all ages. The Guest of Honour programme offers a unique opportunity to showcase this breadth and bring our stories to the world.
We look forward to presenting the full diversity of literature and illustration from Norway for children and young people in Bologna.
As the motto for our Guest of Honour appearance, we have chosen the two small magical words that open up an entire world: What if.
We look forward to warmly welcoming all visitors to the Norwegian pavilion with the stage Norway Café in Hall 30 / A12-B9.
We also hope many will take this unique opportunity to visit the illustration exhibition with 49 artists from Norway, in addition to experiencing the variety of events both around the fair grounds, and in the city of Bologna.
See the complete Norwegian Guest of Honour program here
The Bologna Children’s Book Fair is an international meeting place for the children’s book industry and has a strong focus on illustration.
Each year, it welcomes 30,000 visitors and 1,500 exhibitors from 90 countries.
NORLA will be at The Nordic Common Stand at this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair. You’ll find us in Hall 3.1, stand B70.
The stand will also feature a new catalogue presenting a selection of new books from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, the Faroe Islands and Iceland available in German translation.
Nordic Reception: Thursday, 8 October, 17:00–18:30 at The Nordic Stand.
In collaboration with the Royal Norwegian Embassy in London, NORLA is hosting a special industry event highlighting contemporary Norwegian children’s and young adult literature on November 5.
The event will take place at the Norwegian Ambassador’s Residence.
Norway is Guest of Honour at this year’s Les Boréales festival in Normandy, taking place from 12–22 November.
A strong line-up of Norwegian authors will take part in the festival: Ingeborg Arvola, Martin Baldysz, Brit Bildøen, Thomas Enger, Jørn Lier Horst, Oliver Lovrenski, Aslak Nore, Lars Ramslie and Maria Navarro Skaranger.
As part of the festival, NORLA will also organise a translators’ seminar in Caen on 17 November, with a special focus on Brit Bildøen’s Gult farevarsel (Yellow Warning, Vigilance orange). Bildøen and her French translator Marina Heide will take part in the seminar.
The Norwegian Embassy in Paris is a partner in Norway’s Guest of Honour programme.