Meanwhile, critics and consumers overlooked volumes including the now-classic stories The Little Mermaid and The Emperor's New Clothes. Over the following decades, he continued to write for both children and adults, penning several autobiographies, travel narratives and poetry extolling the virtues of the Scandinavian people. and Only a Fiddler, remained critical favorites. The same year, Andersen began producing fairy tales.ĭespite his success as a writer up to this point, Andersen did not initially attract attention for his writing for children. A novel based on his time in Italy, The Improvisatore, was published in 1835. The promising young author won a grant from the king, allowing him to travel across Europe and further develop his body of work.

Writing CareerĪndersen's work first gained recognition in 1829, with the publication of a short story entitled 'A Journey on Foot from Holmen's Canal to the East Point of Amager.' He followed this with the publication of a play, a book of poetry and a travelogue.

He began writing during this period, at Collin's urging, but was discouraged from continuing by his teachers. He returned to school after a short time, supported by a patron named Jonas Collin. In 1819, Andersen traveled to Copenhagen to work as an actor. These rumors have never been substantiated. The circumstances of Andersen's education have fueled speculation that he was an illegitimate member of the Danish royal family. While the Andersen family was not wealthy, young Andersen was educated in boarding schools for the privileged. died in 1816, leaving his son and a wife, Anne Marie. Early LifeĪndersen was born on April 2, 1805, in Odense, Denmark. Many of his stories, including 'The Ugly Duckling' and 'The Princess and the Pea,' remain classics of the genre. Hans Christian Andersen achieved worldwide fame for writing innovative and influential fairy tales. (1805-1875) Who Was Hans Christian Andersen?

Andersen's fairy tales