By Andrew Richard Albanese, Editor-in-Chief
The Storytel Group has announced the acquisition of the Belgium/Netherlands-based indie Overamstel Publishers, a move the company said will strengthen its footprint in one of is “core markets,” the Benelux region. Financial terms were not disclosed, although Storytel said it purchased 100% of the company, and that the agreed purchase prices will be paid fully in cash.Overamstel joins Storytel Group’s existing portfolio of publishers, which includes Norstedts Publishing Group, Gummerus, People’s, and Storyside, as well as majority stakes in Lind & Co and Bokfabriken.
From left: Bodil Eriksson Torp, Martijn Griffioen, and Helena Gustafsson (credit: Storytel).
Founded in 2007, Overamstel’s diverse imprints include Carrera Culinair, Hollands Diep, Lebowski, Moon, and The House of Books, spanning fiction, nonfiction, and children’s literature across all formats.
In 2025, Overamstel reported revenues of €17.4 million, with physical book sales accounting for approximately 75% of the publisher’s revenues in 2025.
In a release, Storytel officials said Overamstel would “retain its distinct identity and continue to develop both new and established authors as an independent publisher” within the Storytel group. Overamstel’s current CEO, Martijn Griffioen, will continue in his role following the acquisition. Storytel Chief Content & Publishing Officer Helena Gustafsson will join the Overamstel board as Chair. Storytel CFO Stefan Wård and Laura Stoorvogel, Storytel’s Netherlands Country Manager, will also join the Overamstel board members.
“After a longstanding and fruitful relationship, this transition feels like a natural evolution,” Griffioen said in a statement. “I look forward to working alongside Storytel to continue pushing the boundaries of traditional publishing and to keep expanding the impact and visibility of our authors.”
Storytel Group CEO Bodil Eriksson Torp said the combination of Overamstel’s publishing program with Storytel’s “digital reach” represents “a wonderful opportunity for all talented colleagues to work together in bringing even more magic to book lovers across the Benelux region and beyond.”
Industry analyst and Publishing Perspectives contributing editor Carlo Carrenho, part of the Alpine Global Collective consultancy, said the acquisition makes sense on several levels.
“The Dutch audiobook market is becoming increasingly competitive. Audible officially intensified its local operations there just last week, and Simon & Schuster’s acquisition of VBK in 2024 was another clear signal that global players are strengthening their positions in the region,” Carreneho said. “This acquisition also fits into Storytel’s broader strategy of building a network of publishing assets across multiple markets. The company already owns Norstedts in Sweden and Gummerus in Finland, among other operations, and this strengthens that ecosystem further.”
Furthermore, the move suggests that Storytel could gearing up for more expansion. “The last major international acquisition by Storytel was Audiobooks.com in 2021, so it has been quite a long time,” he said. “I would not be surprised to see future acquisitions in markets such as Poland, for example, which is one of Storytel’s focus markets and where the company still does not own a publishing operation despite the market being highly competitive and dynamic.”