Contents
Hans Christian Andersen
Writing fairy tales including The Little Mermaid and The Ugly Duckling.
The Little Mermaid · The Ugly Duckling
- Born
- 2 April 1805
- Birthplace
- Odense, Denmark
- Died
- 4 August 1875
More people
Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author whose original fairy tales combined fantasy with loneliness, ambition and social observation. He also wrote novels, plays, poems and travel accounts.
Early life
An artisan’s household
His father was a shoemaker and his mother worked as a washerwoman.
Copenhagen at fourteen
Left Odense in 1819 hoping to make a career in the theatre.
Career
- 1820s
Schooling and patronage
Support from Jonas Collin enabled further education after unsuccessful theatrical beginnings.
- 1835
Literary breakthrough
Published his first novel and the first instalment of his fairy tales.
- 1840s–1870s
International readership
Continued publishing tales and travel writing while travelling widely in Europe.
Selected work
The Little Mermaid
A sea creature sacrifices her voice in pursuit of human life and love.
The Ugly Duckling
A rejected young bird discovers it is a swan.
The Snow Queen
Gerda journeys to rescue her childhood friend.
Beyond work
Travel journals
Kept extensive diaries documenting journeys and encounters.
Paper cuttings
Made intricate paper silhouettes alongside his writing.
Sources & photo credit
Biography ↗Life and work ↗Photo: Thora Hallager. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
