Two of the most celebrated Book Fairs, BBF & LBF, Mar/Apr 25

Let’s talk about two of the most celebrated Book Fairs that have just occurred in March/ April 25, starting with Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2025....

We came; we ate gelato; and we talked, mainly about our illustrator maestros and current trends. The warm, inspiring and very friendly atmosphere at Bologna is on another level, and we just love attending every year. A plus was bumping into so many of the uber-talented illo artists!

We were busier than ever, with back-to-back meetings and lots of proactive conversations. Everybody seems to be experimenting with graphic novels (we had an exciting meeting with the Penguin Graphics Team) and there’s lots of YA. The interest from all publishers didn’t seem to be too concentrated; they’re asking for everything, which is great for us coming from such a multi-disciplined / diverse group of artists!

For Middle-grade clients are looking for easier, more accessible, shorter, illustrated books because, as you may be aware, there’s a concern about this decline in reading for pleasure. There’s also an increased interest in horror titles for middle-grade readers. In short, our artists were a hit, and we’re very much looking forward to many more meaningful collaborations as a result of this trip.

Now over at the London Book Fair 2025 in March…

This year’s London Book Fair was truly energising,  a fantastic opportunity to reconnect with our clients, colleagues, and friends across the industry. It was especially rewarding to catch up with familiar faces from the Pathways programme and see so many passionate publishing professionals under one roof. The fair continues to grow in scale and atmosphere.

One of our key takeaways: there remains a strong appetite for authentic, diverse storytelling and illustration styles that can travel internationally. Readers and publishers alike are seeking distinctive voices, original humour, and heartfelt narratives from both authors and illustrators.

The demand for meaningful, culturally rich content isn’t going anywhere. There was also talk of romance horror coming on trend! (backing up Bologna’s finds!) Please enjoy our pics below and do shout if there’s anything at all we can do for you.

If you’d like more info, please contact: [email protected]

At illo agency, we pride ourselves in representing a collation of global illustrators, distinctly diverse in creativity and uniquely celebrated by like-minded clients across a range of commercial markets.