Effective 1 July 2021, Bergli Books will join Helvetiq, the Basel/Lausanne publisher of books and games, to form a three-language publishing group. Bergli will continue to publish under its own imprint, and publisher Richard Harvell and marketing employee Kali Resler will move to Helvetiq’s office in Basel in their existing roles.

Helvetiq and Bergli Books have shared several projects over the past few years and see this as a natural step in adapting to the changing publishing landscape. “We’re thrilled to welcome Bergli, with its 30-year history of publishing English books in Basel, to the multicultural, growing Helvetiq team,” says Hadi Barkat, Helvetiq’s CEO. “Richard’s American roots and Swiss experience makes him just the person to help us approach a global readership for our great Swiss books.” The combined Helvetiq/Bergli publishing group will be one of the few Swiss publisher regularly publishing simultaneously in three languages, with Bergli releasing English editions and Helvetiq German and French editions. “I’ve always admired how quickly Helvetiq has taken on an important role in Swiss publishing,” Bergli publisher Richard Harvell says. “And I look forward to being part of that success.”

The Schwabe Verlagsgruppe AG is certain that Bergli, with its small but well-defined list of titles, will be in good hands with Helvetiq. “It is very important to us that Bergli gets a chance to excel,” says Peter Riva, Schwabe CEO. “A fusion with Helvetiq presents ideal conditions for synergies. We’re very happy to have found an excellent solution for Bergli moving forward.” 

The agreement was signed by Helvetiq CEO Hadi Barkat, Schwabe CEO Peter Riva, and Schwabe owner Ludwig Heuss. Bergli Books titles will continue to be available from all bookstores in Switzerland through regular sales channels, internationally through partners abroad, as well as online. 

Get in touch with us for further information!

Schwabe: Simon Rüttimann, Head of Communications, Schwabe Verlagsgruppe, simon.ruettimann@nzz-libro.ch

Helvetiq: Eleni Karametaxas, Head of Marketing, Helvetiq, eleni.karametaxas@helvetiq.ch

Bergli: Richard Harvell, Publisher, Bergli Books, richard.harvell@bergli.ch