The 61^st Bologna Children's Book Fair opens on 8 April. The biggest international event for children’s literature will this year go on until 11 April, and Bulgaria will, for the first time, be presented with a designated 64 sq. m. stand of its own, that will be lent character by the exhibition “Joy, sadness and hope. 25 Bulgarian illustrators of children’s books”. Curators of the exhibition are foremost artists Anton Staykov and Svoboda Tzekova, who selected works by 25 modern Bulgarian illustrators of books for children of different generations, with a different kind of experience – professionally, and in life.

“We have been working on our topic “Joy, sadness and hope” for years – it looks at children’s illustrations and Bulgarian artists for children from a different angle. Children’s illustrations are not just for entertainment, they are more than smiles. They deal with different problems which could involve children in issues that could bring about a catharsis, or make them sad, or make them think. It is very important for the illustrator to be able to inspire the full range of emotions that a child can experience,” says Anton Staykov.

The concept of the stand is to use large-format images that are familiar to the public in Bulgaria and abroad and which can turn into a stage set – like theatre for children made out of paper. The well-known bear by illustrator Kiril Zlatkov from Zornitsa Hristova’s book “When I want to say nothing”, takes centre stage.   

“This exhibition consists of 25 fragments, close-ups and books, and each illustration has a QR code which unlocks additional content on a website created especially for the purpose. That is the grand idea – to leave a trace, in Bulgarian and in English, after the fair is over. The website will preserve and make available the entire database – the book selection, what the exhibition contains, our own curator texts, the galleries of additional preparatory drawings by the authors, the close-ups of the books. The aim is to have a prolonged presence that other curators can build upon. I am hoping it will evolve into a priority for the country.”

A bilingual catalogue is currently in the works, and it will be downloadable online to as to reach the broadest audience possible, Svoboda Tzekova says.

Radio Bulgaria is very proud that Alya Markova from the Spanish language service is also taking part with the illustrations to her cookbook. 

“Alya Markova is a very interesting artist because she has an incredible background – having lived in Spain where she worked for one of the leading textbook publishers. To be able to work in that line of business you have to possess exceptional drawing skills, but you also have to be able to visualize things coming from clients who are pedagogues comparatively quickly. Most of our colleagues know that pedagogues are very demanding and tenacious clients, and Alya Markova has this background. We like her book very much.”

The exhibition “Joy, sadness and hope. 25 Bulgarian illustrators of children’s books” will be presented in Bulgaria as well. Its first stopover in this country will be at the Spring Book Fair in the National Palace of Culture in Sofia. Then it will open the May festival in Dupnitsa, and in September it will be shown at the Museum of Photography in Kazanluk, and after that in the renovated city library in Burgas, where Emil Mitev will hold a masterclass dedicated to the different techniques in illustrations for children’s books.  

*The exhibition is taking place with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture, the National Culture Fund and the Sofia Culture programme, as well as the Bulgarian consulate in Bologna.

More:

• Three Bulgarians nominated for prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award
• “On a string. 1968. A true story” about the Bulgarian heroes of the Prague Spring

Translated and posted by Milena Daynova

Photos courtesy of Kiril Zlartkov, Facebook / Culture and Literature Association