The Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair returns: here is what to expect.
Next week the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center becomes the meeting point for the Asia-Pacific children’s publishing community. From 13 to 15 November 2026, the Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair (CCBF) returns with an edition that reaches well beyond the printed page, bringing together publishers, rights holders, illustrators, comic creators, animation studios and IP managers around a shared agenda: international rights, content partnerships and the discovery of new creative talent.
Launched in 2013 and working closely with the Bologna Children’s Book Fair since 2018, CCBF has grown into the leading fair in the region entirely dedicated to books and content for children. The 2026 edition confirms that ambition with four pillars:
- A line-up of world-renowned creators;
- The Shanghai Comic Week;
- A high-level professional programme;
- A rich offer of exhibitions dedicated to illustration.
Award-winning voices on stage
Few fairs can gather so many of the most celebrated names in children’s literature in a single venue.
Hans Christian Andersen Award laureates will be in Shanghai, led by Chinese illustrator Cai Gao, winner of the 2026 Andersen Award for Illustration, together with author Cao Wenxuan (2016 Andersen Award for Writing) and Brazilian illustrator Roger Mello (2014 Andersen Award for Illustration).
They will be joined by Canadian picture book author and illustrator Jon Klassen, winner of the 2026 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and Belgian author Bart Moeyaert, the 2019 ALMA laureate. The guest list also includes David Wiesner (USA), master of the wordless picture book and three-time Caldecott Medal winner (1992, 2002, 2007); Emily Gravett (UK), twice winner of the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal (2005, 2008); and South Korean author Lee Jee Eun, whose Iparapa Yamooyamoo won the 2021 Bologna Ragazzi Award in the Comics – Early Reader category. Conferences, creator talks and public events throughout the three days will offer professionals the chance to meet them in person.
SHVIP: international publishers in the spotlight
Running from 12 to 15 November, the Shanghai Visiting International Publishers (SHVIP) Program brings together publishers from six countries for an intensive schedule of exchanges: visits to renowned local bookstores, copyright matchmaking sessions and speaking slots at the fair’s professional conferences.
Among the participants are Pimchanok Aramcharoen of Plan For Kids (Thailand), Jadwiga Jędryas of Dwie Siostry Publishers (Poland), Nguyen Huu Quynh Huong of Slowbooks Publishing and Education (Vietnam), Carla Oliveira of Orfeu Negro (Portugal) and, representing Italy, Giulia Maimone, Product Manager at Panini S.p.A.
Shanghai Comic Week: where comics meet IP
For licensing and animation professionals, the Shanghai Comic Week is the section to watch.
Conceived as a platform for leading Chinese comic publishers and creators, it brings together figures from comics, illustration, publishing, animation, film, music and IP management, with original artwork exhibitions, creator talks, meet-and-greets, book signings and animation screenings.
The international guests include Norwegian illustrator and comic maker Kjersti Synneva Moen and French creators Antoine Dole (author, illustrator and screenwriter) and Diane Le Feyer, alongside Chinese artists Ma Yi (comic artist and animation storyboard director), Ruan Yunting (comic artist, illustrator and associate professor at the China Academy of Art) and Tango (ad creative and comic artist).
In the Copyright Zone, international houses such as Dargaud, Bayard, Reprodukt and Editrice Il Castoro will present their catalogues next to leading Chinese content companies, while Comic Creators Avenue will host independent artists, studios and animation teams showcasing original works and creative merchandise – fertile ground for new IP collaborations.
A professional programme built around rights and reading
The Official Conference & Seminars will explore key trends across children’s publishing and the wider children’s content industry. At the heart of the programme, the International Children’s Reading Promotion Dialogue will address two major themes, Children’s Books from China: Forty Years Going Global and Best Practices in Reading Promotion, with the president of the Hans Christian Andersen Award Jury and laureates Cai Gao, Cao Wenxuan and Roger Mello among the speakers.
Emerging talent is also on the agenda. In collaboration with the Italian school Mimaster Illustrazione, CCBF presents the Illustrator Survival Corner, with masterclasses, hands-on workshops and one-to-one portfolio reviews designed to support illustrators in building
international careers.
Exhibitions: from classic fables to Pinocchio
- Spotlight on New Books – an extensive showcase of new titles and publishing highlights from China and abroad, designed to help professionals identify promising titles for rights acquisition and assess their market potential.
- Children Plus – Spoken Words, Painted Worlds: about 200 books from around the world reinterpreting the tales of Aesop, Hans Christian Andersen and Alexander Afanasyev, opening new perspectives for international collaboration in classic book copyright and licensing.
- Golden Pinwheel International Young Illustrators Competition – all 50 shortlisted entries of the 2026 edition on display.
- Pinocchio’s New Clothes – marking the 200th anniversary of Carlo Collodi’s birth, CCBF and the Bologna Children’s Book Fair have jointly launched the Pinocchio Unlimited – Chinese Award. The winning works will be exhibited alongside Pinocchio-inspired creations by more than 20 international artists, including Lorenzo Mattotti, Ed Young and Sara Fanelli.
- Illustrators Avenue – nearly 100 independent illustrators and content creators presenting original picture books and handcrafted artworks.
Why it matters
With its strong Bologna connection, a growing focus on comics and animation, and an explicit emphasis on copyright exchange, CCBF 2026 sits at the crossroads of publishing and the IP economy. For European publishers, agents and licensors looking at China and the wider Asia-Pacific market, Shanghai offers next week a concentrated opportunity to meet partners, scout talent and follow the next wave of content going global.
