Bologna 2026
Norway will be Guest of Honour at the world’s largest children’s and young adult book fair, the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, in 2026.
Norwegian literature for children and young adults is rich in both expression and genre, and explores a wide range of themes that engage readers of all ages.
The Guest of Honour programme offers a unique opportunity to showcase this diversity and bring stories from Norway to the world. The fair is an international meeting place for the children’s book industry, with a strong focus on illustration art. Each year it welcomes around 30,000 visitors and 1,500 exhibitors from 90 countries.
We look forward to presenting the full breadth of Norwegian literature for children and young people in Bologna.
More about the Norwegian Guest of Honour project here
Presenting the slogan for Norway in Bologna 2026: What if – Tenk om
We are proud to present the slogan and visual profile for Norway as Guest of Honour at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2026.
What if up was were down
What if the outside were the inside
What if I were you
Call for proposals: Stage slots for professional programme, Bologna 2026
NORLA invites proposals for professional programme events on the Norwegian stage at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, 13–16 April 2026.
Non-commercial organizations that promote Norwegian and Sámi children’s literature, illustration, and reading are invited to apply to present their own events aimed at a professional audience. Selected contributions will form part of Norway’s official Guest of Honour programme.
Application deadline: 15 October 2025.
NORLA receives 5 million NOK for the Guest of Honour initiative at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2026
The government is investing in Norwegian children’s literature and is making a major contribution to Norway’s Guest of Honour appearance in Italy this coming spring.
This significant contribution ensures broad and varied participation from Norwegian authors and illustrators, and will strengthen the Norwegian fair programme currently being developed.
Grant guarantee for publishers of literature for children and young adults
For a limited time, NORLA guarantees that translation grants awarded to publishers of literature for children and young adults will cover 50 per cent of the translator’s fee, up to a maximum of NOK 100,000 (approx. EUR 8,300). Grants are also available for production subsidies for illustrated books. The maximum grant amount is NOK 20,000 (approx. EUR 1,650).
Talent Program – New Voices for Children and Young Adults
NORLA’s talent program, New Voices for Children and Young Adults, is aimed at Norwegian authors writing fiction and non-fiction for young readers, and its goal is to provide emerging authors with international experience through travel, networking, and a deeper understanding of the outward-facing aspects of being a writer. Nine authors and illustrators participate in the program, which runs from May 2025 until the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in April 2026.
Meet the jury for the Norwegian illustration exhibition at the Bologna Book Fair 2026
Norway will be Guest of Honour at the Bologna Book Fair, April 13-16, 2026. Illustration plays a central role in the fair, and a key element of Norway’s Guest of Honour program will be an exhibition showcasing the high quality of illustrations in Norwegian children’s literature and showcase the diversity of artistic expressions. NORLA is proud to present a highly competent jury, composed entirely of illustrators.
Activities in 2025
Next year, Norway will be Guest of Honour at the Bologna Children´s Book Fair. NORLA has invited foreign publishers and editors of children and YA literature to apply for our fellowship program, which this year will take place in Oslo from June 10 -13, 2025.