International Children's Book Fair in Bologna: New Horizons for Ukrainian Literature
On March 31, the international children's book fair commenced in Bologna, featuring 25 publishing houses from Ukraine. This information is reported by the Ukrainian Book Institute.
The Ukrainian national stand is adorned with new illustrations by Oleksandr Shatokhin from the book "Yellow Butterfly." The exhibit includes postcards detailing the plight of Ukrainian children affected by the war and the destruction of libraries.
Olena Odynoka, deputy director of the Ukrainian Book Institute, noted that on the first day of the fair, representatives from the Federation of European Publishers and partners from the Creative Europe fund attended.
"Our goal is to raise awareness among the international audience about the challenges faced by Ukraine, particularly in the book sector. It’s crucial to engage partners in supporting our culture, as this contributes to our struggle," emphasized Olena Odynoka.
This year, the organizers paired classic illustrators from the 20th century with contemporary artists, showcasing the continuity of generations.
"We have a strong illustration tradition that has often been misappropriated by neighboring countries. Therefore, our task is to restore and promote this heritage, demonstrating that Ukrainian culture is rich and unique," explained Olena Staranchuk, co-curator of the exhibition.
"The design of the stand is my project. We aimed to make it vibrant and reflective of our reality. It has worked, as it draws attention. Of course, the theme of war remains central for us, but we also understand that it’s important for the international audience to learn more about Ukrainian culture as a whole," added Staranchuk.
On the first day of the Bologna Children's Book Fair, a panel discussion titled "Malopys: Ukrainian Comics in Times of War" took place. Speakers discussed the history of comics in Ukraine and the work Maryam Nayem titled "A Brief History of a Long War."
"Ukrainian comics are still a new phenomenon for the international audience. We brought various projects - for children, adults, historical, and even scientific. We are observing how they are received. We are also actively promoting the term 'malopys,' explaining its meaning to foreigners and highlighting the uniqueness of Ukrainian comics. Many countries have their own terms: bande dessinée, manga, fumetti. It’s good that the term 'malopys' has already been established in Ukraine, and we are now trying to bring it to an international level," clarified Hanna Tkach, literary manager of the OVO literary agency.
Tkach noted that during the panel discussion, they also talked about how Ukrainians are aware of their trauma and are working through it.
"It can't be said that Europeans view Ukrainian narratives skeptically, but they often perceive them through the lens of our trauma. There’s a notion that due to our experiences, our perspective may be exaggerated - that perhaps we are overstating or portraying events in overly dramatic tones. Therefore, it's vital to discuss this with the international audience," concluded the literary manager.
The Bologna Children's Book Fair was established in 1964. Since then, it has become a creative hub for publishers, illustrators, designers, translators, librarians, and other representatives of the publishing industry.
