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There are just a couple of weeks to go until publishers from around the globe converge in Bologna for the world’s pre eminent children’s book publishing event, the Bologna Children’s Book Fair.  Now in its 60th year PANZ is delighted to be returning to the fair in person with a stellar compliment of New Zealand Publishers (all the New Zealand publishers exhibiting in 2023 have either been shortlisted for or been a winner of the  BOP – Bologna Prize for the Best Children’s Publishers of the Year!) after a 2-year pandemic related hiatus. Katherine Shanks will be managing the stand on behalf of PANZ and joining  her will be Julia Marshall and Rachel Lawson of Gecko Press, Peter Dowling of Oratia, Eboni Waitere of HUIA and Christine Dale of OneTree House.  In addition Beatnik Publishing will be showcasing books on the stand, though attending virtually.

PANZ is also delighted to partner with Tūranga Christchurch City Council Libraries and the team behind the Painted Stories exhibition to present books by some of Aotearoa New Zealand’s finest children’s book illustrators. You can find the full exhibition presented here. The books from the exhibition and catalogues will be displayed at the fair.

The New Zealand presence is further bolstered by our very own Virtual Bologna Collective Stand plus wrap around marketing campaign, including newsletter and social media, direct to international contacts before and during the fair.

The stand features iconic New Zealand wildlife in the artwork of PANZ member, the multi talented Martin Bailey of Black Chook Books, and is able to reuse many of the same panels from our Frankfurt stand as we strive to be more sustainable.

We wish all exhibiting publishers well in their preaprations for the fair.

Our thanks to Creative New Zealand whose support makes the New Zealand presence at the fair possible and to freight partners Book Systems International and Multi Freight. We’d also like to acknowledge the Mātātuhi Foundation which has supported the digital presentation of Painted Stories and Copyright Licensing NZ’s Cultural Fund which has supported PANZ to present books from the Painted Stories exhibition on our stand at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair