Bonnier Books Danmark Buys Copenhagen Digital-First Publisher Jentas Books

Who just bought one of Denmark's digital-first fiction publishers? Bonnier. On October 9, 2026, Bonnier Books said its Danish arm, Bonnier Books Danmark, has entered into an agreement to acquire Jentas Books, a Copenhagen-based publishing house focused on commercial fiction and digital publishing. The parties agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

What Jentas is

According to the release, Jentas was founded in Copenhagen in 1999 and has established itself as a leading digital-first publisher. It focuses on commercial fiction, including crime fiction, thrillers and popular fiction, and Bonnier says it has "particular strength in audiobooks and e-books."

Jentas publishes in several languages, the release says: Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, English, German, Spanish, Finnish, Polish and Icelandic. Bonnier credits it with a growing catalogue and a broad readership across multiple formats and markets, built by "combining strong editorial expertise with a scalable digital business model."

Jentas will continue to operate from Copenhagen and keep its own publishing profile. It becomes part of Bonnier Books Danmark while continuing to focus on commercial fiction and digital publishing.

What the buyer is

Until now, Bonnier Books Danmark has comprised Gutkind Forlag, home to two equal imprints, Gutkind and Alpha. Together they publish Danish and translated fiction, crime fiction, and narrative and socially oriented non-fiction.

Bonnier's own company page puts Bonnier Books Danmark's 2025 net sales at DKK 50 million, with an average of 32 full-time employees and 1.0 million books sold across all formats in 2025. Bonnier Books, which is owned by the Bonnier Group, also runs Bonnierförlagen in Sweden, Bonnier Books UK, WSOY in Finland, Bonnier Norsk Forlag, Grupa Marginesy in Poland, Bonnier Media Deutschland and BookBeat.

The release does not give Jentas's revenue, staff numbers or the size of its catalogue, so it isn't possible to say from Bonnier's figures how much the deal grows the Danish business.

What the two CEOs said

"We are delighted to welcome Jentas Books to Bonnier Books Danmark," said Jesper Monthán, CEO of Bonnier Books Danmark. He said Jentas brings "expertise, authors and publishing activities that complement the work already being carried out at Gutkind and Alpha," and creates "exciting opportunities for closer collaboration across the Nordic markets."

Monthán added that "Jentas will continue to operate as an independent publishing house with its own distinct profile."

Egill Arnarsson, CEO of Jentas Books, said: "Our ambition has always been to connect powerful stories with readers and to develop authorships across different formats and markets. Becoming part of Bonnier Books Danmark gives us a strong, long-term home and new opportunities to continue growing, while retaining the entrepreneurial drive and publishing focus that have shaped our journey."

Why Bonnier wants it

Bonnier frames the deal around formats. The release says it "creates new opportunities to combine Jentas's digital expertise with Bonnier Books Danmark's long-term commitment to authors, publishing and reading." In plain terms, Bonnier Books Danmark, whose Gutkind and Alpha lists span literary and commercial fiction and non-fiction, is adding a publisher whose strength is audio and e-books in genre fiction, and whose books already appear in nine languages.

The release does not say whether any imprints, staff or author terms will change, or when the deal is expected to close.

Why it matters for authors

Digital-first genre publishers are being bought. Jentas built its business on crime, thrillers and popular fiction in audio and e-book, formats many indie and hybrid authors also publish in. A large group buying that model shows it sees room to grow there.

Translation is part of the value. Jentas publishes the same kind of fiction in nine languages. For authors with Danish or other Nordic rights to sell, it is now part of a group with publishers in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, Poland and the UK.

Check your contract if you write for Jentas. The release says Jentas keeps its profile and Copenhagen base. Authors under contract should still read the change-of-control and assignment terms in their agreements, and ask their publisher what, if anything, changes.

Sources

• Bonnier Books: Bonnier Books Danmark acquires Jentas Books (October 9, 2026)
• Bonnier Books: Bonnier Books Danmark company page (2025 net sales, staff and books sold)