The launch of the L.I.T.T.L.E. project took place on May 27, 2005 during the internationally renowned Festival of the Andersen Prize, Sestri Levante in Italy. This specific location and event has been chosen due to the vast experience that the organisers have in the field of children’s literature, as the literary competition has been running for 37 years. It is also said that Hans Christian Andersen himself visited the “Bay of Fables” in Sestri Levante, where he even wrote some of his tales. This adds to the theme of the project, as well as creates benefits in terms of the many visitors and participators of the Festival and Andersen Prize becoming potential participants in the L.I.T.T.L.E. project itself.

Partners in the project are: Centro In Europa as the proponent, the City of Sestri Levante with their Andersen Prize and Festival; the Märchenland V. with their Berliner Mäerchentage (Berlin Fairy Tale Festival, Germany), the International Board of Books for Young People (Brussels, Belgium); the Faculty of the Science of Training and it’s President Pino Boero, University of Genoa, Italy; Europe Direct Relay of Genoa  and the European development agency, Eurete.

Bulgarian partner in the project is “Sava Dobroplodni” Regional Library – Sliven – an organizer of the unique for Bulgaria National Children Books Festival.

At this launch a public meeting organised and executed by Centro In Europa and Eurete, representatives and experts from partner organisations and countries  have the opportunity to discuss and exchange experiences on the topic of “Communicating the EU to children”, looking particularly at the use of literature and tales as an instrument in this aim. This meeting also looked towards requirements and activities surrounding the trans-national competition of the L.I.T.T.L.E. project.