BolognaBookPlus 2025: an enticing offer for Spring in the heart of Europe !

The Bologna Rights Centre is the beating heart of both BolognaBookPlus and BCBF, where deals are done and new projects unveiled. It was in 2023 that Bologna opened up the rights centre to include exhibiting publishing professionals and all general adult publishing literary agents and scouts. This reflects the extension into general publishing via BolognaBookPlus.

With a packed seminar programme, training events and a spotlight on illustration, all are welcome to Bologna next Spring, from March 31 to April 3, 2025. BolognaBookPlus aims to give general trade companies an opportunity to expand their reach through a variety of exhibiting packages.Packages range from ‘space only’ options, turnkey ‘turn up and trade’ stands, through to rights tables in the combined children’s and general adult trade Bologna Rights Centre

The popular rights training returns on the Sunday before the fair: How to Sell Rights and Understand Licensing in Children’s Publishing. It is the definitive training for all those wishing to get into rights, or in their first role.

New for 2025 is the AI Summit, on the morning of 1st April in the BBPlus Theatre: it will consider the challenges and opportunities afforded by AI, including protecting copyright, marketing and other processes, and implications for rights selling.

A topical seminar programme will again take place throughout the fair. It considers the challenges and opportunities facing the industry through short seminars led by industry names from across the globe. Themes covered include accessibility; AI; the Italian Book Market; book jacket design, audio trends; sustainability; writing talent in Europe; literary translation; English language exports; and much more.

The Audio Forum is returning on Wednesday 3rd April, alongside the Translation Forum on the same day.

The recently announced 2025 Author Ambassador, is Tom Benjamin, following on the heels of Neil Packer last year. First published during the pandemic,Benjamin’s Bologna-based Daniel Leicester detective series will be on show to the world when its creator takes on the mantle of Author Ambassador 2025. Published by Constable, Little, Brown and agented by Bill Goodall, The Bill Goodall Agency, Tom’s books are the must-read for all explorers of Bologna, whether in-person, or from an armchair. Bologna and its restaurants, bars, buildings, history and personalities are brought to life through the pages of these six critically acclaimed mysteries, with a seventh on the way. Praised by the UKpress, The Times applauded his vivid sense of place, while The Daily Mail declared him in “the first division of crime writers.”

Recognition of the production and design work of general trade publishing will be celebrated once again in 2025. Jackets Off! Is a project to put design in general trade publishing at the heart of the business of books. The showcase centres around one title published across many international editions. The 2025 title is The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald. TheIndie Authors Book Jacket Award is an initiative born in 2024 that enables the discovery of new talent, through the variety of covers that represent them. 2024’s winner was Sandy Horsley. And finally, Talking Pictures is a collaboration between BolognaBookPlus, Hamelin Association and Steven Guarnaccia that explores the cultural importance and ongoing impact of the contemporary international visual book. It comprises a showcase, a jury, and a seminar with a jury discussion.

This provides a flavour of all that is packed into Bologna in Spring, a European rights trading opportunity for both children’s and adult trade publishers.