The Naked Publisher: Beyond the Page, Between the Lines is a global publishing podcast hosted by Brazilian-Swedish publishing expert Carlo Carrenho and Austrian publishing analyst Rüdiger Wischenbart.
Developed as part of the ThinkPub project, the podcast offers candid conversations with leading voices from the fields of books, audio, media, technology and publishing innovation. Each episode explores how publishers think, what drives their decisions, how personal and professional journeys shape the industry, and which ideas are influencing the future of publishing.
Smart, international and provocative, The Naked Publisher goes beyond standard industry narratives to reveal the mindsets, dilemmas and strategies behind today’s rapidly changing publishing landscape.
The podcast is produced with support from Narratix, a global audiobook production company, and is part of ThinkPub’s wider mission to provide European publishers with accessible knowledge, training materials and sector insights.
Episode #3
Nina Grünberger: Building Brands, Stories, and the Future of Children’s Publishing
In the third episode, Carlo Carrenho and Rüdiger Wischenbart speak with Nina Grünberger, co-CEO of the Swiss children’s publisher NordSüd, about the changing world of children’s publishing, the strategic importance of strong brands and the enduring influence of stories.
Drawing on her professional journey through journalism, marketing and publishing, Grünberger discusses what it means to lead one of Europe’s most respected picture-book houses. She explains why publishers should understand themselves as brands, how a clearly defined corporate culture can support both creativity and commercial success, and why storytelling today reaches far beyond the printed book.
The conversation examines the international potential of children’s intellectual property, NordSüd’s global publishing strategy and its recent acquisition by Ravensburger. It also considers the growing importance of partnerships across publishing and media, as well as the need for publishers to develop a deeper, data-informed understanding of their readers and audiences.
Grünberger also reflects on generational change in leadership, the complexities of managing teams and markets across Austria, Germany and Switzerland, and the particular responsibility involved in creating books for young readers. Throughout the episode, she emphasises the lasting capacity of children’s literature to shape imagination, identity and people’s relationship with the world.
Listen
1. Spotify
2. Apple Podcasts
3. Amazon Music
4. Official podcast page
The ThinkPub project is co-financed by the European Union under the Creative Europe programme.
