Programme Overview

Each year, CCBF offers a series of special seminars featuring renowned international children’s book authors and illustrators who have received prestigious awards. In these seminars, you will have the opportunity not only to listen to these globally acclaimed creative masters as they share their creative journeys and insights, specially prepared for this year’s book fair, but also to engage in interactive discussions with them.

Mr. Zhu Chengliang rose to fame in the world of children’s picture books with his original picture book A New Year’s Reunion, which secured the first Feng Zikai Chinese Children’s Picture Book Award in 2010. Following this, it was recognised as one of the New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Books in 2011. Mr. Zhu’s subsequent works, including Flame, Playing with Lanterns, as well as The Gale, which was created in collaboration with Nobel laureate Mr. Mo Yan, have been translated and introduced to more overseas markets. His distinct artistic style has garnered acclaim from children’s book critics, editors, and readers worldwide. In 2019, Mr. Zhu Chengliang won the Golden Apple award at the Biennial of Illustration Bratislava (BIB) for his book Don’t Let the Sun Fall, and in 2020, he was nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Award.

Mr. Lluís Prats, a distinguished Spanish writer, studied Art History and Archaeology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and the University of Girona. He has worn multiple hats: he once worked as a primary and secondary school teacher and a film producer in the United States. He is the author of dozens of works, including prose, historical novels, art books, and children’s novels, many of which have been translated into multiple languages. His novel Hachiko, The Dog Who Waited was awarded the Josep Maria Folch i Torres Award for Children’s Literature, one of Barcelona’s most esteemed accolades, even before its official publication in early 2015. In 2016, it was included in the White Ravens catalogue of the International Youth Library in Germany. His new book, Estimate Monster, continues his heartfelt and touching writing style and delves into themes of bullying and friendship that resonate with contemporary children’s lives. It has captured the interest of readers and secured another Josep Maria Folch i Torres Award. After its publication in China, this book quickly rose to the top of various lists, earning a spot among the top ten literary favorites in the “My Favorite Children’s Books” activity organised by the Shenzhen Children’s Library in 2023.

In this conference, Ms. Zhang Hong, a children’s book author and the founder of Magic Reading, will engage in a profound dialogue with these two award-winning creators, Mr. Zhu Chengliang and Mr. Lluís Prats, to delve into the wellsprings of inspiration behind their creations, offering a glimpse into the stories that underlie their masterpieces.

Moderator: 
Zhang Hong (China), Founder, Magic Reading; Writer

Keynote speech:
Creative Talk with Zhu Chengliang
Speaker:
Zhu Chengliang (China), Picture Book Author

Keynote speech:
Creative Talk with Lluís Prats
Speaker:
Lluís Prats (Spain), Author