Illustration Masterclass brings a delegation of children’s book illustrators to China

How did this specific, cross-continental design of the programme enrich your understanding of global children’s literature?

Nina Wehrle (Switzerland): The artistic quality, technical skill, and commitment of the Chinese illustrators we met are extremely high. The drive of the various players and their determination to find ways to enable free and artistically strong picture book creation is hugely impressive. My understanding of the value of diverse stories, shaped by cultural differences, has increased. They emphasise what connects us, what is human, rather than political differences. We urgently need stories like these.

Solene Xie (China): This experience has really deepened my understanding of global children’s literature, especially picture book creators. I had the chance to work closely with illustrators from Switzerland, Nepal, and Palestine. Though our lifestyles are so different, our love for children’s books is exactly the same. We became friends, shared our favorite masterpieces and artists, and it was like having a new pair of eyes to look at the children’s books. Plus, their take on original Chinese picture books was full of pleasant surprises. In a word, a great picture book really has no borders.

Thea Lu (China): When I stepped into the world of picture books, most of the work I studied came from the UK, the US, France, Italy, and Spain, which are the dominant voices in the picture book industry. Multilateral collaboration broadens my knowledge of excellent minds from other countries.

Yara Bamieh (Palestine): The cross-cultural format of the masterclass and working with picture book makers from different parts of the world revealed how many of our creative experiences and challenges are shared. We openly discussed our working methods, contracts, financial stability, and agents, which made me more confident in articulating my own journey. I also became more aware of how universal the core of childhood experience is, and how many themes children’s books can hold.

Maeva Rubli (Switzerland): Discovering the practices, projects and perspectives of other artists was deeply inspiring. Meetings with Chinese publishing houses (private and public) provided a better understanding of the publishing industry, the current goals and needs. Meetings with guests and professionals from different backgrounds broadened my understanding around picture books from a historical, economic, cultural and artistic perspective. Sharing collective knowledge opened new avenues for reflection.

Bandana Tulachan (Nepal): Learning about the children’s book industry and publishing from different places, and from a diverse group of artists and publishers has been a valuable experience for me. Connecting with artists and sharing our experiences, we discover how different we all are and, at the same time, share similar challenges and concerns. I also enjoyed the visit to publishers, and seeing a lot of women in this field was also quite refreshing. I got to actively see how big the children’s book industry is in China and the high quality of stories, art, and production.

Taltal Levi (Switzerland): I was especially inspired by the immense passion and drive of the Chinese illustrators. If I could carry even a fraction of their dedication, I would be grateful. Their approach reminded me to appreciate our profession more deeply and to strive to create meaningful, beautiful books with the same commitment they bring to their work.

Can you share a specific moment of exchange at the book fair, perhaps with a Chinese illustrator/publisher/ fellow delegate, that unexpectedly sparked a new idea or may lead to new collaboration?

Solene Xie (China): I would like to share an event that I specially curated for the masterclass participants at Shanghai Book Mall during the Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair—A Day in the Life of Illustrators Around the World. Each illustrator took turns to share their daily work routines, creative spaces, preferred tools, favorite authors, and beloved cities. This activity instantly narrowed the distance between us all.

Maeva Rubli (Switzerland): What inspired me most were the exchanges with fellow artists and the team leading the group, as well as visits to bookstores and the direct encounter with the books themselves.

Yara Bamieh (Palestine): Studio visits and talks with illustrators in China gave me insight into other illustrators’ tools, materials, and working environments, sparking new ideas about process and showing how different limitations can lead to inventive visual solutions. Portfolio reviews with Chinese publishers offered my first formal, structured opportunity to present my work at this level.
Claudia from Echanted Lion talking about her philosophy of publishing books she believes in, rather than following the market and trends, reinforced my commitment to my own artistic path. Hearing Sydney Smith speak about the ‘safety of the book’ allowing children to step into hard emotions and step back when needed deepened my understanding of emotional depth in picture books and resonated strongly with the project I am working on.

Thea Lu (China): In the sharing with the editor/founder of Echanted Lion, she was asked about how we should face the reality that children are increasingly drawn to social media rather than books. Her answer, ‘…we should not only think about facing the reality, we should think about making the reality…’ encouraged me a lot.

Bandana Tulachan (Nepal): I think one of the best parts of this trip was the masterclass coming together as a group and getting to know each other on a personal level. What was striking to me was everyone’s passion and also kindness. There were so many moments that sparked new ideas and new possibilities. Something important that I take from my interaction is the need to form a illustrators’ community in Nepal to aid creative exchange, collaboration, and help each other to overcome challenges together.

Taltal Levi (Switzerland): One of the most memorable moments for me was meeting the publishers who had already translated one of my books. I was also deeply inspired by Yukiko’s lecture on Japanese toddler books. It opened an entirely new corner of the picture book world for me, one I had never seriously considered before but now feel excited to explore.

Did you discover any surprising parallels or striking differences in visual storytelling between your home market and what you saw in China? How did this direct exposure influence your thoughts on your own work and approach while being introduced to the global readers?

Solene Xie (China): While children’s book creation mostly counts on individual talent and hard work, building professional networks is also super important for getting published, gaining market exposure, and winning over readers. I truly believe that works from this delegation will find more Chinese readers, thanks to all the sharing events they joined in Shanghai, where they got to meet picture book experts, seasoned editors, and fellow creators face to face. All in all, this series of activities with illustrators from different parts of the world will definitely bring more new opportunities to each other’s markets.

Nina Wehrle (Switzerland): I am surprised at how much we have in common with the group in China. Chinese illustrators are more skilled in drawing, techniques, and textures. There are more serialised and educational publications in China, and reinterpretations of traditional Chinese fables/stories are very common.

Thea Lu (China): As our city lives become more and more alike, I feel that from the very superficial level of the so-called style, it’s hard to see a clear ‘national/cultural distinction’ among us from different countries. What quite interests me is that there may lie deeper differences beneath that surface — differences in themes, perspectives, and narrative preferences, the use of rhythm… the more subtle cultural layers that are not immediately visible.

Yara Bamieh (Palestine): The picture book market in China is on a scale very different from the publishing scene I come from. I sensed a strong commitment to quality, craftsmanship, and skill in Chinese books. Many themes carried a tenderness or warmth for children, along with a playfulness that I found inspiring. I was also really impressed by the high level of production.

Maeva Rubli (Switzerland): The Chinese book market seems to emphasise joy, warmth, and learning. In my own work, I often engage with more difficult themes. I don’t intend to change this aspect of my work, as it is the driving force behind my practice: storytelling as a tool for processing, healing, connection and care. I was inspired and felt a desire to allow warmth and proximity into my work, to create a closer connection with readers.

Bandana Tulachan (Nepal): There is actually a lot of difference in the publishing scene. I felt that in China the market is huge and publishers make many varieties of books spanning many genres and age groups. Whereas, in Nepal the market is quite small so it is hard to publish books that may be a risky investment, so publishers usually opt to go for books that have mass appeal. Visiting the book fair, libraries, interacting with fellow artists, and this masterclass as a whole has definitely expanded my view on how I can follow my curiosity and be confident in my work.

Taltal Levi (Switzerland): One thing that stood out to me in Chinese picture books was their focus on precious, everyday moments — on the quietness and peace found in small things. They often celebrate collective experiences, nature, and emotional subtlety, rather than being driven by individual achievement or dramatic obstacles. This contrast made me reflect on the emotional tones I bring into my own work. I was also impressed by the attention to detail in printing, paper quality, binding, graphic design, and special production techniques.