I recently visited “Parade of Picture Books from Bratislava!” at the Yokosuka Museum of Art — a wonderful exhibition celebrating the world of children’s book illustration. It was a delight to spend time surrounded by the art of picture books from around the world.
The Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava (BIB) is one of the collecting themes at Postio Marche, and commemorative stamps have been issued for the biennial since 1971. In this article I introduce all the BIB commemorative stamps I have collected, year by year.
About the Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava (BIB)
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia, a landlocked country bordering Austria and Hungary in central Europe.
The Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava (BIB) is the world’s largest and most prestigious children’s book illustration competition and exhibition, held every two years in Bratislava. It was established in 1965 at the initiative of UNESCO and the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), and the first edition was held in 1967 in what was then Czechoslovakia.
BIB brings together the finest contemporary picture-book illustration from around the world and is one of the most acclaimed events of its kind.
Grand Prix Winners: 1967–2023
| Year | Winner | Country | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Yasuo Segawa | Japan | Fushigi na Takenoko |
| 1969 | Eva Bednářová | Czechoslovakia | Chinese Wonderful Stories |
| 1971 | Andrzej Strumiłło | Poland | — |
| 1973 | Lieselotte Schwarz | Germany | — |
| 1975 | Nikolai Popov | Soviet Union | — |
| 1977 | Ulf Löfgren | Sweden | — |
| 1979 | Klaus Ensikat | East Germany | — |
| 1981 | Roald Als | Denmark | — |
| 1983 | Dušan Kállay | Czechoslovakia | — |
| 1985 | Frédéric Clément | France | — |
| 1987 | Hannu Taina | Finland | — |
| 1989 | Marian Murawski | Poland | — |
| 1991 | Stasys Eidrigevičius | Poland | — |
| 1993 | Lorenzo Mattotti | Italy | Eugenio |
| 1995 | Jon Rowe | United Kingdom | — |
| 1997 | Martin Jarrie | France | — |
| 1999 | Etsuko Nakatsuji | Japan | Yoru no Yōchien |
| 2001 | Éric Battut | France | — |
| 2003 | Ikue Dekune | Japan | Amefurashi |
| 2005 | Alireza Goldouzian | Iran | — |
| 2007 | Ainar Tarkowski | Germany | Es war finster und merkwürdig still |
| 2009 | José Antoni Tàcias Penella | Spain | — |
| 2011 | Cho Eunyoung | South Korea | — |
| 2013 | Eveline Rauber & Nina Wehrle | Switzerland | — |
| 2015 | Laura Carlin | United Kingdom | — |
| 2017 | Ludwig Volbeda | Netherlands | — |
| 2019 | Hasan Mousavi | Iran | Boxer |
| 2021 | Elena Odriozola | Spain | Sentimientos encontrados |
| 2023 | Paloma Valdivia | Chile | The Book of Questions |
BIB Commemorative Stamps — A Complete Gallery
The stamp designers are selected mainly from the Grand Prix, Golden Apple, Gold Medal, and Mayor of Bratislava Award winners of the previous BIB edition, though related designers are also sometimes commissioned.
1971 — BIB Stamps (Editions 1967 & 1969)
The first BIB commemorative stamps were issued in 1971 by Czechoslovakia.
1967 Grand Prix — Yasuo Segawa: Fushigi na Takenoko
The very first BIB Grand Prix went to Japanese picture-book artist Yasuo Segawa (1932–2010) for Fushigi na Takenoko (“The Magical Bamboo Shoot”).
It is remarkable that the inaugural Grand Prix of this prestigious international competition was won by a Japanese artist. Segawa’s delicate, earthy brushwork — rooted in Japanese folk art traditions — must have made a profound impression on the international jury.
1969 Grand Prix — Eva Bednářová: Chinese Wonderful Stories
The second Grand Prix went to Czech printmaker and painter Eva Bednářová (1937–1986) for Čínské cudové rozprávky (“Chinese Wonderful Stories”).
Mirko Hanák: Animal Folk Tales
Also included in the 1971 stamp set is an illustration from Animal Folk Tales, first published in 1968. Mirko Hanák (1921–1971) was a beloved Czech illustrator celebrated for his tender, naturalistic depictions of animals.
1975 — BIB Stamps
A five-stamp set including work by Nikita Charushin and others.
1977 — BIB Stamps
A five-stamp set featuring Viera Bombová’s illustrations for Pasáček a zlatá paní, slovenské pohádky (Slovak fairy tales), among others.
1979 — BIB Stamps
A five-stamp set including work by Kaš János and Karel Svolinský.
1981 — BIB Stamps
1983 — BIB Stamps
1985 — BIB Stamps
1987 — BIB Stamps
1989 — BIB Stamps
1991 — BIB Stamps
The left stamp features German illustrator Binette Schroeder; the right stamp features Polish artist Stasys Eidrigevičius, who would go on to win the 1991 Grand Prix.
A note on the issuing country: All stamps from 1971 to 1991 were issued by Czechoslovakia. On 1 January 1993, Czechoslovakia peacefully dissolved into the Czech Republic and Slovakia — an event known as the “Velvet Divorce.” Bratislava became the capital of the new Slovak Republic, and from 1993 onward, BIB commemorative stamps have been issued by Slovakia.
1993 — BIB Stamps (First Slovak Issue)
Featuring an illustration from The Big Pets by Lane Smith (USA), winner of the Golden Apple at BIB 1991.
1995 — BIB Stamps
Featuring an illustration from Lorenzo Mattotti‘s Eugenio — the 1993 Grand Prix winner, and the first Italian artist to receive the BIB Grand Prix.
Also in the set: an illustration by Dušan Kállay for Pravda pravdúca o svete (“The True Truth About the World”).
1997 — BIB Stamps
Featuring illustrations by Jana Kiselová-Síteková.
1999 — BIB Stamps
Featuring illustrations by French artist Martin Jarrie, the 1997 Grand Prix winner.
2001 — BIB Stamps
Featuring illustrations from Gulliver’s Travels by Slovak artist Peter Uchnár, a student of Dušan Kállay. The 1999 Grand Prix went to Japanese artist Etsuko Nakatsuji for Yoru no Yōchien (“Kindergarten at Night”).
2003 — BIB Stamps
Featuring Jana Kiselová-Síteková‘s illustrations for Thumbelina — she received the BIB 2001 Golden Apple Award.
2005 — BIB Stamps
Featuring illustrations from Amefurashi by Japanese illustrator Ikue Dekune, winner of the 2003 BIB Grand Prix. The cat illustration on the first day cover was drawn by Dekune’s own teacher, Professor Dušan Kállay — a touching tribute from master to student, expressed on a stamp.
2007 — BIB Stamps
Featuring Ľuboslav Palo (Slovakia) and his work Nicht erwischt! (“Nobody Caught!”), winner of the BIB 2005 Golden Apple Award.
2009 — BIB Stamps
Featuring Ainar Tarkowski‘s 2007 Grand Prix-winning work Es war finster und merkwürdig still (“It was dark and strangely quiet”). Among BIB’s many vibrant, colourful winners, Tarkowski’s delicate fine-line black-and-white illustrations stood out as something refreshingly different.
2011 — BIB Stamps
Featuring Slovak illustrator Martina Matlovičová, winner of the BIB 2009 Golden Apple Award.
2013 — BIB Stamps
Featuring Tomáš Klepoch (1981–) and his work Ruda Sloboda: Ako som sa stal mudrcom — winner of the BIB 2013 Golden Apple Award.
2015 — BIB Stamps — Dušan Kállay Special Edition
This year’s stamps departed from the usual practice of featuring the previous BIB winners, instead spotlighting Dušan Kállay (1948–) himself.
Dušan Kállay was born in Bratislava and is a printmaker, picture-book artist, and illustrator who has influenced generations of illustrators around the world. Since 1990 he has been a professor at the Department of Graphics of the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava. He won the BIB Grand Prix in 1983.
2017 — BIB Stamps
Featuring Veronika Klímová (Slovakia) and her work Hlbokomorské rozprávky (“Deep-Sea Stories”) — winner of the BIB 2015 Mayor of Bratislava Award, and also winner of the 2013 “Most Beautiful Children’s Book in Slovakia” award.
2019 — BIB Stamps
Featuring Vladislav Rostoka (1948–), a Hungarian-born designer. This was the first BIB stamp set to use self-adhesive stamps. Rostoka received the Bratislava Slovak National Design Award in 2003, though he has no formal BIB award on record.
2021 — BIB Stamps
Featuring Iranian illustrator Hasan Mousavi and his 2019 Grand Prix-winning work Boxer.
2023 — BIB Stamps
Featuring Spanish illustrator Elena Odriozola and her 2021 Grand Prix-winning work Sentimientos encontrados (“Mixed Feelings”).
2025 — BIB Stamps
Featuring Chilean illustrator Paloma Valdivia and her 2023 Grand Prix-winning work The Book of Questions.
The Joy of Collecting BIB Stamps
The BIB commemorative stamps are issued every two years — I always look forward to each new edition.
From 1971 to 1991 they were issued by Czechoslovakia; from 1993 onward by Slovakia. Each stamp set is a window into the world’s finest children’s book illustration at a particular moment in time — and the artists whose names appear on these stamps include some of the most beloved picture-book creators of the past half century.
If you’re interested in BIB stamps, Postio Marche carries a selection in our “Picture Books, Fairy Tales & Mythology” collection. Please come and take a look!
👉 Postio Marche — Picture Books, Fairy Tales & Mythology Stamps
Images and text are original. Please do not reproduce without permission. Some stamps shown are from a private collection.
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