The emphasis in the new children’s imprint at Saga Egmont is on translation of audio works into as-yet unexploited languages and territories.

By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson

Translating and Selling Audio Editions

As Publishing Perspectives readers know, Copenhagen-based Saga Egmont is the digital publishing arm of the Scandinavian media group Egmont. It reports annually publishing more than 10,000 audiobooks in more than 30 languages.

Having developed a strong profile in the field for some time, it’s now making the familiar move of announcing an imprint for children’s books: Saga Kids.

Saga Kids has as its key mission, today’s (November 4) media messaging says, “to tell stories that are relatable, multicultural, timeless, humorous, nostalgic and inspiring.”

Saga Egmont reports more than 85,000 digital titles in more than 30 languages in its catalogue. There are some 2,500 digital children’s books in that total, with work in at least 15 languages.

The internationalist component represented by those 15 languages seems to be part of what prompts the company to refer to its new imprint as “global,” the intention being a welcome one, the translation and publishing of children’s literature on what apparently will be an extensive scale.

“Too few children’s books authors are translated and published internationally today,” says Lasse Horne, Saga Egmont’s publishing director.

“Children’s books help shape our children’s future perception of the world and their role in it.

“That’s why we want to help as many authors, illustrators, and partners find new young readers around the world.”

Saga Kids will be based in the Copenhagen headquarters of the company but will operate in cooperation with the Warsaw Saga Egmont staff.

In a prepared statement, the editorial director handling Saga Kids, Stephanie Andén, is quoted, saying that the Saga Egmont mission “has always been to bring stories to life digitally.

“Now, we’re allowed to continue that path with children’s stories and invest in books that originally wouldn’t travel beyond their local-language borders.

“The fact that we can reach children internationally by publishing digitally is simply fantastic.”

Saga Kids has been operating at least long enough to have signed a deal with the Astrid Lindgren Company which handles the estate business of Astrid Lindgren, the author behind Pippi Longstocking and Emil in Lönneberga books.

The arrangement provides for Saga Kids to publish audio plays based on the books, in Dutch, Italian, and French.

Louise Dam, Saga Kids’ brand manager, is quoted, saying, “We have a diverse, commercially strong, and award-winning quality catalogue available, and with this major collaboration with the Astrid Lindgren Company, we can present high-quality production audio plays from one of the world’s most beloved children’s books authors.

“Our catalogue also includes stories written by authors from various countries and cultures, and well-known brands such as Disney, Hasbro, Mattel, and many more.” And certainly it can be expected that such brands as those can always find licensing across an array of formats and territories.

“We’re always looking for new publishing opportunities,” Dam says, |”and we intend to publish various digital formats to suit each story the best.”

There’s synergy between the new children’s imprint and the Egmont Foundation charitable program, which includes in its portfolio of focal interests dyslexia; children and young people in care; “vulnerable families” with younger children; and the viability of early school experiences.

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More from Publishing Perspectives on audiobooks is here, more on Denmark is here, more on Saga Egmont is here, more on digital publishing is here., more on children’s books is here, 

More from us on the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on international book publishing is here.