Looking back on the children’s literature fellowship
From 17 to 20 February, we had the honour of welcoming seven editors from Swedish publishing houses specialising in children’s literature. This fellowship is part of our campaign for Göteborg 2027, when Flanders and the Netherlands will be Guest of Honour at the largest book fair in the Nordic countries. By immersing Swedish publishers in our literature, we aim to boost the number of translations into Swedish by 2027.
Day 1
We kicked off the week with a walk through historic Ghent, guided by author Jean-Claude van Rijckeghem – a highlight for many of the participants. Equally memorable was our visit to the Museum of Fine Arts, where smaller groups explored the art collection alongside illustrators/authors Gerda Dendooven, Jan Van Der Veken, and Klaas Verplancke. Barbara De Munnynck outed the competitive personalities by closing the day with a quiz on world history.
Day 2
The next day, in Antwerp, our participants met with authors Yelena Schmitz and Evelien De Vlieger, and were introduced to the work of Els Beerten, who was unable to attend unexpectedly. The afternoon was dedicated to meetings with Flemish and Dutch publishers in a mini rights centre at the Flanders Literature offices. Translators Maria Andersson and Annika Johansson shared their favourite books via video presentations.
Day 3
On the third and final day of our fellowship, the Ghent city library provided the perfect setting for lively interviews with illustrators Peter Van den Ende, Ingrid Godon, and Pieter Gaudesaboos. Carll Cneut welcomed the group into his studio, while Mattias De Leeuw brought out their inner artist during an illustration workshop at the Royal Academy for Dutch Language and Literature. Jef Aerts was the closing act with his intimate reading (and song!) of ‘Robber’s Cub’ at bookshop Rokko.
By engaging in activities with authors and illustrators – rather than having them simply present their work – and by allowing plenty of time to talk to them in an informal way, the participants formed much stronger connections with them. Josefin Svenske of Rabén & Sjögren confirms this: “I loved the informal ways of meeting authors and illustrators – that is definitely something I will take with me. The studio visits and museum tours were fantastic in that way. Actually meeting and talking to people, rather than just having arranged meetings, made a big difference."
It was also lovely to experience different parts of the community – from small bookshops to studios, libraries, and beyond. It really gave me a sense of the diversity of the children’s book scene in Flanders.Josefin Svenske of Rabén & Sjögren
The participating book makers shared similar sentiments. Barbara De Munnynck remarked: “It was a privilege to present my book in such a relaxed setting, free from any time pressure. It was a dream, the exact opposite of the nightmare that is the ‘elevator pitch’. There was time to get to know each other. Whether this leads to anything concrete, or not, it left me with a wonderful feeling.”