BolognaBookPlus Launches First Professional Children's Rights And Licensing Training Programmes
BolognaBookPlus
Bologna Children’s Book Fair
Bologna, Wednesday March 17: BolognaBookPlus (BBPlus) has today announced a new Rights and Licensing training event to launch its content programme on the eve of Bologna Children’s Book Fair (14-17 June 2021). BBPlus 2021 is a hybrid event running over three days and launched as a brand extension to run in parallel with the acclaimed Bologna Children’s Book Fair.
How to Sell Rights and Understand Licensing in Children’s Books, curated by Orna O’Brien, will take place on Sunday 13th June and is the first dedicated training programme for children’s rights specialists working across the global industry. The programme will focus on an introduction to selling rights and understanding licensing in children’s books, for aspiring, new and early career rights professionals, in addition to self-published children’s authors, and anyone working in the children’s rights and contracts realm.
Chaired by Belinda Rasmussen, Managing Director at Macmillan Children’s Books, the event will draw on the expertise of some of the industry’s leading professionals including Giunti Editore’s LeeAnn Bortolussi, literary agent Debbie Bibo, licensing and children’s media consultant Helen McAleer, and Joanna Everard, recently of Bloomsbury UK.
Crucial topics to be covered include: copyright introduction; the full range of rights and co-edition categories; contracts, the selling process, and licensing and merchandising.
Elena Pasoli, Director, Bologna Children’s Book Fair, said: “I’m so glad that the launch of the BBPlus programme opens with a training course aimed at children’s book rights professionals – serving as a fabulous bridge between the well-known and well-established Bologna Children’s Book Fair and its exciting new brand extension. Over the past year we have learnt not only to cope with the pandemic but also to take on new ideas to serve the wider publishing world as a whole. Guest Director Jacks Thomas has skilfully ensured that this training course, created by the BolognaBookPlus team, pays homage to the roots of this great new initiative.”
Jacks Thomas, Guest Director for BolognaBooksPlus, said: ‘It ’s great to be announcing this introduction to buying and selling rights as our first event for BolognaBookPlus. Rights and licensing are the bedrock to publishing success, opening the doors to markets, platforms and media that support revenue streams, build author profiles and extend brands. This is particularly the case in the children’s market, and we look forward to welcoming new and aspiring professionals to join us for this event led by some of the industry’s leading specialists.”
Belinda Rasmussen, Managing Director at Macmillan’s Children’s Books, said: “As the children’s book market continues to thrive, this rights training course couldn’t be more timely and I am delighted to be involved with it. Online or in person it promises to be a great event and I am greatly looking forward to it.”
More details about this year’s inaugural BBPlus programme will be announced in the coming weeks.
For all press enquiries please contact Ashton Bainbridge at Ashtonb@fmcm.co.uk.
Notes to Editors
About BolognaBookPlus
BolognaBookPlus is a new initiative launched by BCBF/BolognaFiere to reach a general publishing audience via a one day conference and three day exhibit - among other opportunities - taking place alongside the acclaimed Bologna Children’s Book Fair June 14 – 17 2021. Working closely with the Bologna management team, BolognaBookPlus is led by Jacks Thomas as Guest Director, supported by a UK team. Working closely with the Bologna team, BolognaBookPlus is led by Jacks Thomas as Guest Director, supported by a UK team.
