Recognizing the importance of professional partnerships for books, as well as the need for thoughtful, contemporary publishing of children’s and youth books, the Bureau International del’Edition Française (BIEF), the French Institute of Greece and the Hellenic Foundation for Culture are joining forces to organize a professional workshop for publishers of children’s books, youth books and comics, in Athens, on Thursday 6 and Friday 7 June 2024.

This workshop aims to offer French and Greek publishers the opportunity to get to know a foreign market in depth – the trends, the actors, the general organisation -, to discuss their activities and their readership, to develop deeper knowledge of the markets and to explore the possibilities of publishing cooperation. All this in a more relaxed environment than at major international book events.

The workshop will be hosted at the library of the Friends of Comics Club (14 Iera Odos Street, Athens), is free of charge and with simultaneous interpretation, while the participating professionals have registered after an open call for interest.

Thursday 6 June includes a morning of presentations and discussions on issues related to French and Greek publishing in the field of children’s books and comics. In particular, Nicolas Roche (Director of the Bureau international de l’Edition française – BIEF) and Nopi Hadjigeorgiou (Coordinator of the Thessaloniki International Book Fair, Hellenic Foundation for Culture) will talk about the book market in France and Greece respectively, with facts and figures, Laurence Risson (Programme Manager, BIEF) and Evi Ginopoulou ( Copyright Manager, Metaixmio Publications) talk about trends in French and Greek children’s book and comic book publishing.

This will be followed by a Round Table Discussion on “French-Greek publishing exchanges today in the field of children’s books and comics“.The publishing exchanges between France and Greece are firmly established, reflecting the long-standing ties between the two countries. The economic turmoil of the last decade, however, has led to changes in the book market and therefore in the priorities of publishers. What are the developments in the children’s book and comics sector? How do French and Greek publishers work together? What adjustments need to be made in the field of publishing exchanges? How can public bodies support this activity?

Participants: Katerina Fragou (literary agent, Iris Agency), Kelly Demopoulou (independent editor, translator), Nikos Nikas (publisher, Ellini Paideia Publications), Dominique Sandi (children’s book manager, Psychogios Publications), Stéphane Husar (director, ABC Melody Publications). Coordinated by Nicolas Roche (BIEF director).

The afternoon of Thursday 6 June and Friday 7 June will be dedicated to B2B business meetings between French and Greek participants, in order to discuss possible collaborations and discover new publishing catalogues and releases.