Building on the success of last year’s sold-out program, the third annual Frankfurt Kids Conference will take place Wednesday, October 15, this time free of charge for book fair attendees. The event has also shifted from the morning to the late afternoon, in hopes of accommodating more publishers after a packed day of meetings. Lawrence Schimel, author and literary translator, is reprising his role as moderator. “We want to show that children’s book publishing is an important part of citizenship,” he says of the conference’s theme, “Children’s Books in a Fragile World.”

Delivering the keynote is Axel Scheffler, German-born and London-based illustrator of more than 200 titles, including the beloved Gruffalo picture books written by Julia Donaldson. Following his address are two industry-focused panels, both moderated by Schimel. The first, “Canary in the Coal Mine,” explores how children’s publishers are rallying as first responders against book bans. The speakers are Sherif Bakr, the general manager of Al Arabi Publishing and Distributing, who also serves on the International Publishers Association’s Freedom to Publish Committee; Kateryna Mikhalitsyna, a Ukrainian activist, children’s book author, poet, and translator; and Jon Yaged, CEO of Macmillan Publishers.

“It’s important to recognize danger signs and what can be done to fight against them,” Schimel says. “But equally important is the positive world we want to be moving toward.” To that end, a second panel, “Light in the Darkness,” offers ideas for concrete action in support of young people’s freedom to read and access to diverse voices. The conversation will feature Tereza Horváthóva, publisher of Czech publishing house Baobab; Constanza Mekis Martínez, president of Fundación Palabra, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting Latin American literature and culture; and Soonyoung Lee, cofounder of South Korean publisher BookGoodCome.

The conference will also provide ample opportunities for members of the industry to network with colleagues, including breakout tables and a happy hour. “We really want people from different parts of the world to establish connections so they can go home with new contacts and new ideas,” says Riky Stock, VP of U.S. business development at the Frankfurt Book Fair. At its heart, the event has “always been about the same important issues: diversity, global understanding, accessibility, and responsibility, which was our theme last year.” In a war-torn world increasingly facing threats to free expression, she adds, Frankfurt’s mission of “bringing people together and bridging differences” is all the more vital.

According to Stock, the 2025 children’s program will be more practical than past iterations. “Enough talking,” she says. “The world is not getting better. We need to be offering people tools and hands-on advice, and encouraging everyone to do their part: educators, librarians, publishers, editors, translators, and authors. More than an industry, it’s really a community.”

Children’s book programming will also be woven throughout the book fair at large. The 2025 Serafina Young Talent Award for Illustration will be presented on October 15 by the German Academy for Children’s and Young Adult Literature. The award, which is valued at €2,500, honors emerging illustrators in the field of children’s and YA books. A close-up on the Southeast Asian market and a talk on the responsible use of AI in children’s publishing are set to take place October 16.

Schimel says he’s grateful for the fair’s sustained commitment to children’s publishing. Echoing the theme of this year’s proceedings, he adds, “We’re in such a moment of fragility in a lot of ways, and kids are in the world with us. So how do we give them the books they need to get through this? Whether it’s escapism or books about what’s happening—both are valid and necessary.”

The Frankfurt Kids Conference will be held from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at Centre Stage Hall 4.1/B 68 on October 15, and will be followed by a networking reception.

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