Namjung Kim (Republic of Korea)
President, Hankwon Publishing Company; Vice President, KBBY (IBBY Korea)
With decades of experience in children’s literature and publishing, Namjung Kim has taken part in a wide range of international projects and cultural exchange initiatives through children’s books. He is deeply committed to fostering cross-cultural understanding and collaboration in the global children’s book community. His work has significantly contributed to expanding Korea’s international publishing network and promoting the richness of Korean children's literature. He continues to introduce reading culture to young readers with a global perspective, striving to build bridges between authors, publishers, and readers around the world.
A Geng (China)
Member of the Animation Arts Committee of the China Artists Association, Professor at Guangxi Arts University
A Geng, a renowned artist and writer on Weibo with over one million followers, is a National First-Class Artist and a visiting scholar at University of Poitiers in France. She has been honored as an “Outstanding Teacher” by the Ministry of Education. Currently, she is a member of the Animation Arts Committee of the China Artists Association (CAA), and a member of the China Animation Association, and holds positions such as director of the Guangxi Branch of CAA and Vice-President of the Guangxi Association of Young Artists. Her works in picture books, comics, and illustrations have been published overseas in 18 editions. She won over 40 national and international awards, including the “Chinese Government Prize for Culture and Art - Animation Award,” the Japan International Manga Award, and the Literature Award of Extensive Reading Foundation in UK.
Alessandro Sanna (Italy)
Illustrator, author
Alessandro Sanna is an author and illustrator of books with figures. He collaborates with numerous Italian and international publishing houses. He exhibits his works in exhibitions all over the world. He teaches illustration at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice. He was appointed by ALIR Italian Children's Laureate, a role that served as the Ambassador of Children's Literature for the biennium 2020-2022.
© Jildiz Kaptein
Leo Timmers (Belgium)
Illustrator
Leo Timmers studied advertising and graphic design. He made his debut as a picture book author in 2000 with Happy with me. Leo Timmers won the Reading Jury Award eight times, and his work Bang! Has won the prestigious “Bookpeacock Award” and has been selected mulyiple times for The New York Times’ Best Picture Book of the Year. His books have been translated in 37 languages to date.
Wei Ling (China)
Managing Director and Editor in Chief, Xiron Books
Wei Ling is the Editor-in-Chief of Xiron Books. It has been designated as a “National Copyright Demonstration Unit” and a “Beijing Municipal Copyright Protection Demonstration Unit” by both the National Copyright Administration of People’s Republic of China and the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Copyright. Xiron Books adheres to its philosophy that “a good book = social value + cultural value + commercial value,” striving to provide outstanding copyrights protection, content, and products. The company has published bestsellers such as Those Things in Ming Dynasty, The Lost Tomb, Magic Tree House, The Magic School Bus, The Little Prince, and My Daddy Is Ultraman.
