In 2009, Flanders was guest-of-honour at the festival, and boasted a well-visited exhibition (‘Ceci n'est pas la BD flamande'), a sales booth in the setting of a typically Belgian pub (‘Chez les Flamands') and many other activities. All twenty artists from the exhibition travelled along. This resulted in a lot of media attention in Flanders and abroad, and an increase in the number of translation grants for graphic novels. Seven of which have already been granted in 2009, five are still in the pipeline. In comparison: only one translation grant was given in both 2006 and 2007, six in 2008.
The FLF will build on these successes in 2010. The sales booth will again be a ‘pub with no beer' at the same central location amidst the international publishers. A virtual version of the exhibition ‘Ceci n'est pas la BD flamande' will be shown. Foreign publishers can meet with the FLF and Flemish publishers of comic books and graphic novels. De Poortere, Janssen, Spaey, Cambré and Conard, who each receive an all-inclusive travel grant from the FLF, will also be present. The FLF helps them with preparations for the festival and encourages them to set meetings with foreign publishers who might be interested in their work.
On Friday evening, the FLF, the Flemish representation and Flanders Investment and Trade (FIT) will be hosting a dinner party (‘soirée flamande'), at which the five invited comics artists will be the guests-of honour.
