Hans Christian Andersen

Who is Hans Christian Andersen?

Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author born in Odense in 1805, the son of a poor shoemaker. After an impoverished childhood he moved to Copenhagen as a teenager seeking a career in the theatre, before turning to writing. Although he produced novels, travelogues, plays and poems, he became world-famous for his literary fairy tales, of which he wrote more than 150. Works such as 'The Little Mermaid', 'The Ugly Duckling', 'The Snow Queen', 'The Emperor's New Clothes', 'The Princess and the Pea' and 'Thumbelina' have been translated into more than 125 languages and remain staples of children's literature worldwide. His tales blend folk-tale tradition with original invention, humour and social observation, and often reflect his own experience of hardship and longing for acceptance. He travelled extensively across Europe and kept detailed diaries. He died in Copenhagen in 1875, honoured as one of Denmark's national figures.

Sources: Hans Christian Andersen, 'Fairy Tales Told for Children' (1835-1837) · Jackie Wullschläger, 'Hans Christian Andersen: The Life of a Storyteller' (2000) · Hans Christian Andersen, 'The Fairy Tale of My Life' (autobiography, 1855)