Bologna Children’s Book Fair

For the first time I visited a book fair along with illustrator Daniele Simoni. I really wasn’t sure what to expect, especially considering the fact that it was dedicated to children’s books and my only experience in writing for youngsters is the upcoming illustrated fable Sing-Song the Iridescent Dragon. I did enjoy seeing the huge range of art displayed. From displays to the works in the books, the number of styles really did seem endless. I’m not an illustrator so I can’t offer any technical details, but what I can say is that the level of talent and creativity crammed into one small space was astounding.

Daniele and I sat down to listen to the Gianni De Conno Silent Book contest presentation and we briefly met two of the finalists. The Italian, Daria, has a great work entitled ‘The Inner World’, and the German contestant, Melina, had a very interesting book called ‘Near Neighbors, Far Away Friends’. I’m not familiar with Silent Books as I prefer the written word, but it is quite remarkable to see how much of a story can be told with just illustrations.

Towards the end of our stay, we met fellow creatives (artists/illustrators/designers) Daniela, Meca and Luca. I’m a writer, but it is interesting to understand how an illustrator tells his or her story. I had an interesting conversation with Daniela regarding writing methods and writer’s block, something I don’t suffer from. I found my own system which means I plow through the block, or I simply switch to another story I’m writing in order to keep moving. Isn’t that what it’s all about? Just keep on creating.