ILF team head to Canada for the IBBY World Congress

The Indigenous Literacy Foundation is heading to Canada for the IBBY World Congress — and a landmark moment for Indigenous languages in books.

We've got exciting news to share: 3 members of our ILF team, Ben Bowen (CEO), Tictac Moore (Head of Programs) and Cindy Manfong (Publishing Projects Editor), are packing their bags for Ottawa, Canada, to take part in the IBBY World Congress 2026: a gathering of the world's leading voices in children's literature, literacy and storytelling from every corner of the globe.

It's a big trip. But it's about something bigger than travel.

While in Canada, Ben, Tictac and Cindy won't just be attending the Congress, they'll be spending time on the ground with Indigenous Communities in Canada, and connecting with Indigenous creators and publishers from around the world, to share knowledge and learn from how other nations are protecting and celebrating language through books. The team will also be looking at expanding the global rights program to ensure Indigenous creators in Australia can have their books and languages available in the global market.

There's a fitting timing to it all, too: this trip marks almost 2 years to the day since ILF was awarded the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA) in 2024. ALMA is the world's largest prize for children's and young adult literature, and global recognition of the power of Community-led, language-based storytelling. Heading to an international stage once again, this time to help launch a landmark global collection, feels like a natural next chapter in that story.

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body. We a deeply grateful to Creative Australia for their support to ensure the ILF can support Indigenous storytelling and bilingual books reach the world stage.

Why this trip matters

While we're there, we'll be part of the launch of the IBBY-UNESCO Collection of Remarkable Books in Indigenous and Endangered Languages - an international collection celebrating books that keep Indigenous and endangered languages alive on the page, in classrooms, and in the hands of children who deserve to see their own language and culture reflected in the stories they read.

This is exactly the work we've spent years doing here at home: partnering with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities to create, publish and share books in language, and get them into the hands of kids who need them most.

Standing alongside IBBY delegations from around the world, all working toward the same goal in their own Communities, is a powerful reminder that this work is part of something truly global.

What the team will be doing while they're there

• Meeting with Indigenous Communities in Canada to learn from their approaches to language, storytelling and publishing.
• Connecting with Indigenous creators and publishers from around the world at the Congress.
• Representing ILF at the launch of the IBBY-UNESCO Collection.
• Bringing home fresh ideas to strengthen our own Community-led publishing here in Australia.
• Building relationships that support a stronger, more connected global movement for Indigenous-language books.

What we're hoping to bring back

• New connections with Indigenous Communities, creators and publishers doing this work internationally
• Fresh ideas to strengthen our own Community-led publishing programs
• A stronger case, backed by global recognition, for why Indigenous-language books matter
• Stories from Ottawa to share with you - the supporters who make our work possible

The Congress will take place from 6th - 9th of August in Ottawa, Canada.

Follow along with us

Ben, Tictac and Cindy will be sharing updates from Canada and the Congress floor, what they learn, who they meet, and what it means for Indigenous literacy back home. Follow us on socials to come along for the ride.

To continue to support the ILF and the work of Indigenous Communities around Australia build more culturally relevant libraries in remote Communities and publish more bilingual and culturally rich literature you can support that work by donating to our programs.

Thank you for being part of this journey with us, long before we ever set foot on a plane.

Be Part of the Story.