Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2026: Jacqueline Woodson on the Global Majority and the Future of Children’s Publishing
In a wide-ranging conversation on the second day of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, National Book Award-winning author and 2018–2019 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Jacqueline Woodson spoke with Maria Russo, former New York Times Book Review children’s books editor and current editor-at-large at Union Square Kids, reflecting on Woodson’s path to becoming an author, book bans and the state of free expression, and more. This was Woodson’s first-ever appearance at the fair.
When asked about her writing journey, Woodson told Russo that growing up, she had a desire to tell her story because there were so few books about kids like her. “I knew I wanted to write myself into the narrative,” she said. “I knew I had a story. I didn’t know I had so many.” Woodson is the author of more than 40 books for children, teens, and adults, including her NBA–winning memoir Brown Girl Dreaming, and her Newbery Honor–winning titles After Tupac and D Foster, Feathers, and Show Way.
Russo and Woodson discussed the term “global majority,” which Russo called a “linguistic shift” in the way Woodson has framed her advocacy for “the representation of non-white people.” Woodson said that in the U.S. and in some other places, “You’re always referred to as a minority,” adding that in reality “people of color make up the majority of the world.” The term global majority is a way of bringing people from around the world together, she added.
Creating this kind of community is more important now than ever, Woodson posited, as the discussion transitioned to book bans. “In the U.S., there’s so much happening that negatively affects artists and writers and the institutions that support them. Librarians and teachers can get fired, writers who depended on them are no longer getting speaking engagements because schools are scared to bring in global majority authors or authors from the queer community since they might get their funding taken away.” Woodson praised the work of librarians fighting to protect free expression and access to books and encouraged the audience to see The Librarians, the 2025 documentary about librarians across the U.S. who are fighting to protect First Amendment rights.
“Book bans right now are about anything that’s not a white American history,” she said, noting that her own books have been challenged, including Brown Girl Dreaming and Red at the Bone. “Challenges are legislated now. What’s so heartbreaking is going into schools and seeing empty shelves. All that has to happen is a parent walks into a classroom and says, “I want to challenge that book.” She added that once a book is removed from a classroom, it could be a months-long process before a book can be returned, if ever.
Next, the panelists discussed picture books and the challenge of keeping readers engaged. Woodson offered advice for aspiring writers pursuing any kind of narrative. “Tell your story and be a specific as possible. I thought that my story was so specific to my life that no one else would be able to engage with it. But the more specific you are, the more reach you have. Put blinders on and write the best book you can possibly write. Rewrite and share that book with people you trust. Look for publishers that are in the conversation with the work you’re doing as a writer.” She also suggested taking classes to learn from other writers. “Writing is a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger you get.”
The discussion immediately followed the announcement of Jon Klassen as the winner of the 2026 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. Woodson, who won the award in 2018, called the acknowledgement of her work by the Lindgren committee “life-changing,” adding that she had been primarily writing for an American audience before and that the award allowed her to reach readers around the world. The award also comes with a significant financial prize that enabled her to start the nonprofit Baldwin for the Arts, which provides artists from the global majority with residencies to pursue their creative projects. So far, the organization has hosted 145 fellows, including Jennifer Baker, Mahogany Browne, Major Jackson, Glenis Redmond, Jason Reynolds, Renée Watson, and many emerging artists. Woodson was also awarded the McArthur Fellowship in 2020.
In response to a question from the audience about the reading crisis, Woodson expressed her hope that creators can offer something to all children no matter what they like or how they read. “Story is what’s important. Reading picture books is reading. Reading the picture in the book is reading. People read differently.” Woodson said she’s intentional about the language she uses and tends to write shorter sentences now in part because of awareness of the visually driven environment that kids are growing up in. Adults need to “work inside the systems where kids are living, in the 21st century. We need to meet kids where they are with all their gadgets and distractions.”
Finally, the panelists discussed the idea of having a “big purpose,” a concept that Woodson has included in many of her books. She reflected that young people often ask themselves why they are here in the world, what they’re supposed to do, and how they can achieve it. The answer is “being in community with each other,” she said.