And the award for Best Stand at Bologna Children's Book Fair goes to...

This week, we're STIIIIIILL talking about Bologna Children's Book Fair (for the last time, we promise 😅)  - this episode was supposed to come out as soon as we got home, but the technology gremlins have been fighting with us every step of the way. BACK OFF, GREMLINS. 

You'll hear at the very end that we went on talking for three whole blimmin' episodes before we realised the microphones had conked out.

We chat about having a stand and exhibiting for the very first time, our Best-Stand award, given to us by the one and only Chloe Savage (sponsored by ham™️), meeting the most brilliant people, and...Mega Duck! 

Timestamps, for the timestamp fans:

00:00 – Back from Bologna! The brain dump begins 
01:00 – What it was like having a stand for the first time 
02:30 – The Best Stand Award wot we won
04:00 – 1,500 stripy bags, tattoos, and the ham situation 
06:30 – Meeting podcast listeners in real life 
07:00 – A lovely chat with Steve Anthony (Mr. Panda!) and his route into illustration 09:00 – The Cambridge School of Art stand and Good Ship grads
10:00 – Katie interviewing people on the stand with mega microphones 
11:30 – Holly's observation about illustrators 
13:00 – Why picture book people are the best
15:00 – The Illustrators' Survival Corner
16:30 – Meeting new people and being mistaken for a publisher 
18:00 – Jo Overend and the Mega Duck story / Walker Books
22:00 – Lisa Loffredo, the Nami Concours shortlist, and a very good group photo 
24:00 – The Good Ship Illustration as a showcase for talent (a big idea brewing...) 
26:00 – Our Bolognese Palace 
28:00 – Tania on nonfiction illustration
31:00 – How to research publishers from home 
33:30 – Whoops, the microphones weren't recording. Goodbye Bologna!

Links & people mentioned:

🎨 Steve Antony (Mr. Panda author-illustrator): https://www.steveantony.com/
🎨 Cambridge School of Art MA in Children's Book Illustration: https://www.aru.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/childrens-book-illustration
🎨 Jo Overend on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joverendillustration/
🎨 Lisa Loffredo on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisaloffredo_/
🎨 The Bologna Children's Book Fair: https://www.bolognachildrensbookfair.com/ 🎨 The Bookseller (check out the April issue, useful for agents and publishers list): https://www.thebookseller.com/

Byeeee for now!

x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania)

p.s. Heard Jo's story and feelin' a bit inspired? Good! If you want to find your own creative voice and start putting yourself out there, come and fly your freak flag with us. https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/freakflag

Come and say hello!

✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com

p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙