BolognaBookPlus 2025: New AI Summit; return of the Audio Forum and a Comprehensive Seminar Programme

BolognaBookPlus (BBPlus) is the European Spring opportunity for general trade adult publishing. It welcomes the world and is the gateway to Italian publishing through its partnership with AIE – AssociazioneItaliana Editori, whose Collective stand is a must for Italian general publishers.

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A new AI Summit launches on 1 April 2025 April, in partnership with Shimmr AI. It boasts an international line-up of speakers at the cutting edge of this new age of opportunity for the publishing industry. Offering an essential roadmap for embracing AI, this timely addition to the annual trade book fair is set to inspire, educate, and empower publishers, equipping them with the insights and tools needed to thrive and overcome challenges in an era defined by artificial intelligence.

Another new addition is a very topical subject, the burning issue not just for publishers, but for society as a whole: a joint BCBF/BolognaBookPlus Sustainability Summit. Senior global figures will debate this very important topic, one that cannot be ignored, chaired by international figurehead, Marcus Dohle.

The Audio Forum returns with another impressive speaker line-up, including Ann Scantlebury from Pottermore. Also returning is the popular Translation Forum, focusing on the Estonian, Norwegian and Polish markets. It takes place on Wednesday 2 April 2025.

How to Sell Rights and Understand Licensing in Children’s Publishing is the definitive training for all those wishing to get into rights, or in their first role, and takes place on the Sunday prior to the Fair, 30 March 2025

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; the Balkan book market, book jacket design, audio trends; sustainability; writing talent in Europe; literary translation; English language exports; and more.

The 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 UK press, The Times applauded his vivid sense of place, while The Daily Mail declared him in “the first division of crime writers.”

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. The Indie 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.

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