Astrid Lindgren | |
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Lindgren around 1960
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Born | Astrid Anna Emilia Ericsson 14 November 1907 Vimmerby, Sweden |
Died | 28 January 2002 , Sweden |
(aged 94)
Occupation | Writer |
Language | Swedish |
Nationality | Swedish |
Period | 1944–1993 |
Genre | Children's fiction, picture books, screenplays |
Notable awards |
Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing 1958 Right Livelihood Award 1994 |
Astrid Anna Emilia Lindgren (born Ericsson; Swedish: [ˈastrɪd ˈlɪŋɡreːn]; 14 November 1907 – 28 January 2002) was a Swedish writer of fiction and screenplays. She is best known for children's book series featuring , Emil i Lönneberga, Karlsson-on-the-Roof, and the Six Bullerby Children (Children of Noisy Village in the US), as well as the children's fantasy novels Mio min Mio, Ronia the Robber's Daughter, and The Brothers Lionheart.
As of January 2017, she is the world's 18th most translated author and the fourth most-translated children's writer after Enid Blyton, H. C. Andersen and the Brothers Grimm. Lindgren has sold roughly 144 million books worldwide.
Astrid Lindgren grew up in Näs, near Vimmerby, Småland, Sweden, and many of her books are based on her family and childhood memories and landscapes.
Lindgren was the daughter of Samuel August Ericsson and Hanna Jonsson. She had two sisters, Stina and Ingegerd , and a brother, Gunnar Ericsson , who eventually became a member of the Swedish parliament.
Upon finishing school, Lindgren took a job with a local newspaper in Vimmerby. She had a relationship with the chief editor, who was married and a father and eventually proposed marriage in 1926 after she became pregnant. She declined and moved to the capital city of Stockholm, learning to become a typist and stenographer (she would later write most of her drafts in stenography). In due time, she gave birth to her son, Lars, in Copenhagen and left him in the care of a foster family.