Reflections from Frankfurt 2025
This October, the Frankfurt Kids Conference 2025 at the Frankfurt International Book Fair brought together publishers, authors, illustrators, and educators from around the world under a deeply resonant theme: “Children’s Books in a Fragile World.”
In an era marked by wars, migration, censorship, and climate issues, this focus could not have been more timely; or more necessary.
A Meeting of Voices and Concerns
Held on October 15, 2025, the conference gathered a remarkable lineup of speakers: Axel Scheffler, illustrator; Lawrence Schimel, author and translator; Jon Yaged, CEO of Macmillan Publishers; Sherif Bakr, General Manager of Dar Al Arabi Publishing and Distribution; Kateryna Mikhalitsyna, Ukrainian children’s book author; Tereza Horváthová, Czech publisher; and Constanza Mekis, Chilean reading promotion specialist.
Together, they explored how children’s books can offer light, safety, and connection… even when the world around us seems uncertain.
The discussions revealed an uncomfortable truth: the spaces where children learn to imagine and empathize are increasingly under pressure; from shrinking library budgets and politically motivated book bans to the traumas of displacement and the digital overwhelm of modern childhood.
A Fragile World, Indeed
At Agafay Books, we share the conviction expressed in Frankfurt Book Fair: that children’s literature is not a luxury; it is a form of resilience. Every story that reaches a child is a quiet act of hope, a statement that imagination still matters, and that words and images can heal and empower.
But this world is fragile. It depends on translators who bring voices across borders; on editors who protect nuance and diversity; on parents and teachers who read aloud even when time is short; on public institutions that continue to invest in books as public goods rather than commercial products.
When any of these links weakens, when a book disappears from a shelf, or when a young reader is told that their story doesn’t belong… the world of children’s books becomes a little more fragile.
From Fragility to Responsibility
The message that resonated most deeply from Frankfurt is that fragility is not weakness; it is a call to care. As Axel Scheffler reminded attendees: “If we want children to imagine a better world, we must first protect the imaginative spaces we give them.”
At Agafay Books, we believe that publishing for young readers is an act of stewardship. It requires sensitivity to the times we live in, and a refusal to compromise on quality, authenticity, and diversity. Our mission is to help build bridges through stories; to nurture empathy in a generation that will inherit not only the beauty of this world but also its fractures.
Looking Ahead
The Frankfurt Kids Conference 2025 has set an important tone for the global children’s publishing community: awareness, solidarity, and courage. In this fragile world, children’s books must remind us that understanding and kindness are still possible, more than just entertainment.
For us at Agafay Books, this is not just an aspiration. It is the quiet promise behind every page we publish.
