Author Bio
Hans Christian Andersen, often referred to as H. C. Andersen was born in April 2, 1805, in Odense, Denmark. He was a Danish author and poet. Although he was a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, but he is best known for his fairy tales. Andersen’s popularity is not limited to children; his stories, called eventyr in Danish, or “fairy-tales” in English, express themes that transcend age and nationality.
Many of the more than 160 fairy tales he wrote, including “The Little Mermaid,” have become literary classics enjoyed by children and adults alike. His fairy tales have been translated into more than 125 languages. They have become culturally embedded in the West’s collective consciousness, readily accessible to children, but presenting lessons of virtue and resilience in the face of adversity for mature readers as well. His stories have inspired plays, ballets, and both live-action and animated films
No collection of fairy tales would be complete without the works of Hans Christian Andersen. In fact, Andersen’s life was like a fairy tale in many ways. Out of the poverty, hardship, and loneliness of his youth, he came to be one of the most honored men of his time. After the death of his father, Andersen, in 1819 moved to the capital city of Copenhagen, where he hoped to become an actor in the Royal Theater. Many people of the theater and wealthy families of the city tried to help him, without much success. The next few years were the unhappiest of his life.
After his schooling, Andersen spent many years traveling and writing poems, books, and plays, which met with some success. It was not until he was 30 that he wrote any fairy tales. His first small book of fairy tales became popular almost immediately, and from then on his fame grew rapidly, spreading from country to country. In 1867 he returned to Odense to be honored by his country. Andersen published his last fairy tales in 1872, and after a long illness, he died in Copenhagen on August 4, 1875.