Hans Christian Andersen 1805—1875

Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author and poet, most famous for his fairy tales. Among his best-known stories are “The Little Mermaid”, “Thumbelina” and “The Ugly Duckling”. During Andersen’s lifetime he was feted by royalty and acclaimed for having brought great enjoyment to a whole generation of children throughout Europe. His fairy tales have been translated into more than 150 languages and they continue to be published in millions of copies all over the world. His fairy tales have inspired the creation of numerous films, theatre plays, ballets and film animations. During 1835 Andersen published the first instalment of his immortal Fairy Tales with many more stories, completing the first volume, were published throughout 1836 and 1837, although the quality of these stories was not immediately recognised, and they sold poorly. At the same time, Andersen enjoyed more success with two novels: O.T. and Only a Fiddler. In the English-speaking world, many of these stories remain popular and are widely read. (source: Wikipedia)