Poet and author (1805-1875)
”First, you undergo such a terrible amount of suffering, and then you become famous.”
Hans Christian Andersen – The Fairy Tale of My Life
While today Andersen is famous throughout the world for his fairy tales, his novels attracted an international readership for his work even in his own day. His first novel, The Improvisatore, appeared in 1835 and showed clear parallels with the author’s own life. The young artist Antonio grows up in poor circumstances and finally achieves wealth and happiness.
Hans Christian Andersen was the son of a shoemaker, but his artistic abilities led to his rising from the depths of society to its top. In this way, Andersen saw his own life as a parallel to some of the fairy tales he invented. The stories themselves, as well as the play on words, the irony and the undertones still appeal to children and adults today.
Read Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales.
Facts
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1805
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Born in Odense, the son of a shoemaker
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1819
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At the age of 14 went to Copenhagen, hoping to become an actor at the Royal Theatre
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Wrote 120 fairy tales. Translated into about 120 languages
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Selected Works
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1835
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Improvisatoren (The Improvisatore), novel
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1837
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Kun en spillemand (Only a Fiddler), novel
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1870
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Lykke Per (Lucky Peter), novel
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1840-1841
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En digters bazar (A Poet’s Bazaar), travel account
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1851
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I Sverige (In Sweden), travel account
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1851
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I Spanien (In Spain), travel account
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1846
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Liden Kirsten (Little Kirsten), opera with music by Hartmann
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Poetry
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I Danmark er jeg født (In Denmark I was born), Jylland mellem tvende have (Jutland Betwixt Two Seas) and Hist hvor vejen slår en bugt (Where the Road Bends)
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Fairy Tales
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Den grimme ælling (The Ugly Duckling), Fyrtøjet (The Tinder Box), Keiserens nye klæder (The Emperor’s New Clothes), Kjærestefolk (Sweethearts) and Den lille havfrue (The Little Mermaid)
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More About Hans Christian Andersen
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