When it comes to children's books, you might immediately think of the vibrant, imaginative Bologna Children's Book Fair (BCBF) in Italy—a lively stage for children's content and illustration, and a source of inspiration that illustrators, authors, and publishers have long admired.

Another key indicator is The White Ravens catalogue. Each year, supported by children's literature experts from around the globe, new titles are gathered and then carefully selected by the editorial team of the International Youth Library (Internationale Jugendbibliothek) in Munich, together with international advisors. The chosen books are celebrated for their innovative styles and stories that resonate deeply with young readers.

This year, the TiBE Children's Book Forum warmly welcomes experienced speakers from the BCBF and the Internationale Jugendbibliothek to share their firsthand insights and innovations from the forefront of children's publishing, exploring the next spark of inspiration for children's books.

Event Information

Date｜February 6, 2026 (Friday)

Time｜14:30-17:00

Venue｜Conference Room 4, Taipei World Trade Center Hall 1

Language｜English, with consecutive interpretation into Chinese

Partner｜Bologna Children's Book Fair; Internationale Jugendbibliothek

Moderator and Speaker

Moderator

Arni Liu (劉維中)/ Editor-in-chief/ Hsin Yi Publications

Speaker

Deanna Belluti/ Illustration and Translation Events Manager/ Bologna Children's Book Fair

With over twenty years of experience in the field, Deanna Belluti is the Illustration and Translation Events Manager at the Bologna Children's Book Fair, the leading international trade fair dedicated to books and content for young readers.

At BCBF, she is responsible for the exhibitions and events focused on illustration, including the international tour of the Bologna Illustrators Exhibition and the special initiatives. Among these are the “Italian Excellence” exhibition series—presented in more than thirty countries, the “Chinese Excellence in Children's Illustration” exhibitions, organized in collaboration with institutional and international partners. Her activity also included projects such as the exhibition “Off the Page… and in the World of Fashion”, in partnership with Pitti Immagine; the illustration contest “The Children Spectator”, developed in the framework of the European project “Mapping – A Map on the Aesthetics of Performing Arts for Early Years; and the international competition “Join the Revolution! Giving Every Child Good Books”, created for the 39th IBBY International Congress.

In the field of translation, Deanna Belluti coordinates the BCBF Translators Centre, whose activities include the Translators' Café—a hub for international exchange and debate among translators of children's books and professionals from the publishing industry—the “In Altre Parole” translation contest, and the “World Directory of Children's Book Translators”, an international database of translators specializing in children's literature.

Among the international events to which she has been invited are: serving on the jury of the Catálogo Iberoamérica de Ilustración in Guadalajara (2014); participation in “L’Œil du monde”, an initiative focused on international creativity and intercultural exchange, held in Nantes (2023); the Bangkok Illustration Fair (BKKIF), where she served as a reviewer (2024); and the European Literary Translation Conference, held in Strasbourg (2024).

Lucia Obi/ Language Specialist for Chinese and Korean Children's Literature/ Internationale Jugendbibliothek

Lucia Obi has been working in academic libraries, and also as a freelance illustrator and editor in the children's publishing industry. Trained in Cultural Anthropology, Chinese Literature, Art and the Library and Information Sciences, she is now the language specialist for Chinese and Korean children's literature at the International Youth Library in Munich, Germany.

*The Organizer reserve the right to modify the program.

*Should you have any questions, please contact:

Taipei Book Fair Foundation /Cecilia Chien / 886-2-27671268 #107 / cecilia@taipeibookfair.org