NordSüd Verlag

• Name — NordSüd Verlag AG • Parent — Oetinger Publishing Group • Status — active • Founder — Dimitrije Sidjanski • Country — Switzerland • Headquarters — Zurich, Switzerland • Distribution — worldwide • Keypeople — Herwig Bitsche, Publisher • Publications — books • Topics — children's literature • Genre — various • Imprints — Michael Neugebauer Books • Website — nord-sued.com (Switzerland) northsouth.com (United States)

Nord-Süd Verlag was established in 1961 by Dimitrije Sidjanski and his wife, Brigitte Sidjanski, in Zürich, Switzerland. The company initially published multilingual works, reflecting its founders' vision of fostering cross-cultural understanding. Its first book, The Clown Said No, written by Dimitrije under a pseudonym, set the tone for its focus on children's literature. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the company gained recognition for children's books, collaborating with international authors and illustrators such as Janosch, Ralph Steadman, and Bernadette Watts. It became known for translating and licensing rights to works from diverse cultural backgrounds. Under the leadership of Davy Sidjanski, the founders' youngest son, the company began distributing English-language editions in the United States, which led to the creation of the NorthSouth Books imprint. The 1980s and 1990s saw growth, with NorthSouth Books achieving success through titles like Marcus Pfister's Rainbow Fish series and Hans de Beer's Little Polar Bear. The publisher also reissued international classics, making them accessible to new audiences. In 2004, the company was acquired by private investors and underwent restructuring. In 2012, the Oetinger Publishing Group, a major German publishing house, acquired a majority stake. This marked a new phase, emphasizing collaboration between the Zürich office and the U.S. imprint. Since the acquisition, NorthSouth Books has expanded its catalog to include original works by American authors and illustrators. Notable recent titles include 999 Frogs Wake Up by Ken Kimura and Yasunari Murakami, and No Bath, No Cake by Matthias Weinert. The publisher continues to acquire rights to high-profile titles, such as Jon Klassen's I Want My Hat Back and This Is Not My Hat, fostering its presence in the international market. It has also created a Spanish-language imprint, Ediciones Norte-Sur.

NorthSouth operates with offices in Zurich and the United States. The Zurich headquarters manage global operations, while the U.S. office focuses on English-language markets. The company's leadership includes Herwig Bitsche, who joined in 2012, and Heather Lennon, the U.S. publishing director.

The publisher employs a global distribution network, collaborating with partners like Henry Holt & Co. and Faber & Faber for English-language editions. The Spanish-language imprint, Ediciones Norte-Sur, caters to Spanish-speaking audiences.