Astrid Anna Emilia Lindgren (née Ericsson; Swedish: [ˈasːtrɪd ˈlɪŋːɡreːn] () (14 November 1907 – 28 January 2002) was a Swedish writer of fiction and screenplays. She is best known for several children's book series, featuring Pippi Longstocking, Emil i Lönneberga, Karlsson-on-the-Roof, and the Six Bullerby Children (Children of Noisy Village in the US), and for the children's fantasy novels Mio, My Son, Ronia the Robber's Daughter, and The Brothers Lionheart. Lindgren worked on the Children's Literature Editorial Board at the Rabén & Sjögren publishing house in Stockholm and wrote more than 30 books for children. In January 2017, she was calculated to be the world's 18th most translated author,[3] and the fourth most translated children's writer after Enid Blyton, H. C. Andersen and the Brothers Grimm. Lindgren has so far sold roughly 165 million books worldwide.[4]

Biography [ edit ]

Lindgren in 1924

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 (1875–1969) and Hanna Jonsson (1879–1961). She had two sisters, Stina [sv] and Ingegerd [sv], and a brother, Gunnar Ericsson [sv], 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 who 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.

Although poorly paid, she saved whatever she could and traveled as often as possible to Copenhagen to be with Lars, often just over a weekend, spending most of her time on the train back and forth. Eventually, she managed to bring Lars home, leaving him in the care of her parents until she could afford to raise him in Stockholm.

In 1932 she married her employer, Sture Lindgren (1898–1952), who left his wife for her. Three years later, in 1934, Lindgren gave birth to her second child, Karin, who would become a translator. The character Pippi Longstocking was invented to amuse her daughter while she was ill in bed. Lindgren later related that Karin had suddenly said to her, "Tell me a story about Pippi Longstocking," and the tale was created in response to that request.

The family moved in 1941 to an apartment on Dalagatan, with a view over Vasaparken, where Lindgren remained until her death on 28 January 2002 at the age of 94, having become blind.[5]

Astrid Lindgren died in her home in central Stockholm. Her funeral took place in the Storkyrkan (Great Church) in Gamla stan. Among those attending were King Carl XVI Gustaf with Queen Silvia and others of the royal family, and Prime Minister Göran Persson. The ceremony was described as "the closest you can get to a state funeral."[6]

Career [ edit ]

Lindgren worked as a journalist and secretary before becoming a full-time author. She served as a secretary for the 1933 Swedish Summer Grand Prix. In the early 1940s, she worked as a secretary for criminalist Harry Söderman; this experience has been cited as an inspiration for her fictional detective Bill Bergson.[7]

In 1944 Lindgren won second prize in a competition held by Rabén & Sjögren, a new publishing house, with the novel Britt-Marie lättar sitt hjärta (Britt-Marie Unburdens Her Heart). A year later she won first prize in the same competition with the chapter book Pippi Långstrump (Pippi Longstocking), which had been rejected by Bonniers. (Rabén & Sjögren published it with illustrations by Ingrid Vang Nyman, the latter's debut in Sweden.) Since then it has become one of the most beloved children's books in the world[8] and has been translated into 60 languages.[9] While Lindgren almost immediately became a much appreciated writer, the irreverent attitude towards adult authority that is a distinguishing characteristic of many of her characters has occasionally drawn the ire of some conservatives.[10]

The women's magazine Damernas Värld sent Lindgren to the United States in 1948 to write short essays. Upon arrival she is said to have been upset by the discrimination against black Americans. A few years later she published the book Kati in America, a collection of short essays inspired by the trip.

In 1956, the inaugural year of the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis, the German-language edition of Mio, min Mio (Mio, My Son) won the Children's book award.[11][12] (Sixteen books written by Astrid Lindgren made the Children's Book and Picture Book longlist, 1956–1975, but only Mio, My Son won a prize in its category.)[13]

In 1958 Lindgren received the second Hans Christian Andersen Medal for Rasmus på luffen (Rasmus and the Vagabond), a 1956 novel developed from her screenplay and filmed in 1955. The biennial International Board on Books for Young People, now considered the highest lifetime recognition available to creators of children's books, soon came to be called the Little Nobel Prize. Prior to 1962 the Board cited a single book published during the preceding two years.[14][15][clarification needed]

On her 90th birthday, she was pronounced International Swede of the Year 1997 by Swedes in the World (SVIV – Svenskar i Världen [sv]), an association for Swedes living abroad.[16]

In its entry on Scandinavian fantasy, The Encyclopedia of Fantasy named Lindgren the foremost Swedish contributor to modern children's fantasy.[17] Its entry on Lindgren summed up her work in glowing terms: "Her niche in children's fantasy remains both secure and exalted. Her stories and images can never be forgotten."[18]

Translations [ edit ]

By 2012 Astrid Lindgren's books had been translated into 95 different languages and language variants. Further, the first chapter of Ronja the Robber's Daughter has been translated into Latin. Up until 1997 a total of 3,000 editions of her books had been issued internationally,[19] and globally her books had sold a total of 150 million copies.[20] Many of her books have been translated into English by the translator Joan Tate.

Politics [ edit ]

In 1976 a scandal arose in Sweden when it was publicised that Lindgren's marginal tax rate had risen to 102 percent. This was to be known as the "Pomperipossa effect", from a story she published in Expressen on 3 March 1976,[21] entitled Pomperipossa in Monismania, attacking the government and its taxation policies.[22] It was a satirical allegory in response to the marginal tax rate Lindgren had incurred in 1976,[23] which required self-employed individuals to pay both regular income tax and employers' deductions.[23] In a stormy tax debate, she attracted criticism from Social Democrats and even from her own colleagues, and responded by raising the issue of the lack of women involved in the Social Democrats' campaign.[24] In that year's general election, the Social Democratic government was voted out for the first time in 44 years, and the Lindgren tax debate was one of several controversies that may have contributed to the result. Another controversy involved Ingmar Bergman's farewell letter to Sweden, after charges had been made against him of tax evasion.[22] Lindgren nevertheless remained a Social Democrat for the rest of her life.[25]

In 1978, when she received the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, Lindgren made a speech, Never Violence!. She spoke against corporal punishment of children. After that she teamed up with scientists, journalists and politicians to achieve non-violent upbringing. In 1979, a law was introduced in Sweden prohibiting violence against children.[26] Until then there was no such law anywhere in the world.[27]

Lindgren was well known both for her support for children's and animal rights and for her opposition to corporal punishment and the EU.[28] In 1994 she received the Right Livelihood Award, "For her commitment to justice, non-violence and understanding of minorities as well as her love and caring for nature."

Honors and memorials [ edit ]

Lindgren represented in the Villa Villekulla exhibit at Kneippbyn in Visby

In 1967 the publisher Rabén & Sjögren established an annual literary prize, the Astrid Lindgren Prize, to mark her 60th birthday. The prize, 40,000 Swedish kronor, is awarded to a Swedish-language children's writer every year on Lindgren's birthday in November.

Following Lindgren's death, the government of Sweden instituted the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in her memory. The award is the world's largest monetary award for children's and youth literature, in the amount of five million Swedish kronor.

The collection of Astrid Lindgren's original manuscripts in Kungliga Biblioteket in Stockholm (the Royal Library) was placed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register in 2005.[29]

On 6 April 2011 Sweden's central bank Sveriges Riksbank announced that Lindgren's portrait will feature on the 20 kronor banknote, beginning in 2014–15.[30] In the run-up to the announcement of the persons who would feature on the new banknotes, Lindgren's name had been the one most often put forward in the public debate.

Asteroid Lindgren [ edit ]

Asteroid 3204 Lindgren, discovered in 1978 by Soviet astronomer Nikolai Chernykh, was named after her.[31] The name of the Swedish microsatellite Astrid 1, launched on 24 January 1995, was originally selected only as a common Swedish female name, but within a short time it was decided to name the instruments after characters in Astrid Lindgren's books: PIPPI (Prelude in Planetary Particle Imaging), EMIL (Electron Measurements – In-situ and Lightweight), and MIO (Miniature Imaging Optics).

Astrid's Wellspring [ edit ]

Källa Astrid (Astrid's Wellspring) by Berit Lindfeldt (Astrid's Wellspring) by Berit Lindfeldt

In memory of Astrid Lindgren, a memorial sculpture was created next to her childhood home, named Källa Astrid ("Astrid's Wellspring" in English). It is situated at the spot where Astrid Lindgren first heard fairy tales. The sculpture consists of an artistic representation of a young person's head (1.37 m high),[32] flattened on top, in the corner of a square pond, and, just above the water, a ring of rosehip thorn (with a single rosehip bud attached to it). The sculpture was initially slightly different in design and intended to be part of a fountain set in the city center, but the people of Vimmerby vehemently opposed the idea. Furthermore, Astrid Lindgren had stated that she never wanted to be represented as a statue. (However, there is a statue of Lindgren in the city center.) The memorial was sponsored by the culture council of Vimmerby.

Astrid Lindgren Museum

Astrid Lindgren gravesite

Astrid Lindgren at her typewriter. Statue created by Marie-Louise Ekman, in the city center of Vimmerby.

Lindgren's childhood home is near the statue and open to the public.[33] Just 100 metres (330 ft) from Astrid's Wellspring is a museum in her memory. The author is buried in Vimmerby where the Astrid Lindgren's World theme park is also located. The children's museum Junibacken, in Stockholm, was opened in June 1996 with the main theme of the permanent exhibition being devoted to Astrid Lindgren; at the heart of the museum is a theme train ride through the world of Astrid Lindgren's novels.

Works [ edit ]

Children and Youth Novels [ edit ]

Series [ edit ]

Individual Novels [ edit ]

Picture books [ edit ]

Series [ edit ]

Title (Series) Title (Individual novel) Alternative Titles Original Title Original Release English Release Ref. Children's Everywhere series Noriko-San: girl of Japan Eva Visits Noriko-San Eva möter Noriko-san 1956 1958 Sia lives on Kilimanjaro Sia bor på Kilimandjaro 1958 1959 My Swedish Cousins Mina svenska kusiner 1959 1959 Lilibet, circus child Lilibet, cirkusbarn 1960 1961 Marko lives in Yugoslavia Marko bor i Jugoslavien 1962 1963 Dirk lives in Holland Jackie bor i Holland 1963 1964 Randi lives in Norway Gerda lives in Norway Randi bor i Norge 1965 1965 Noy lives in Thailand Noy bor i Thailand 1966 1967 Matti Lives in Finland Matti bor i Finland 1968 1968 The Children on Troublemaker Street series Lotta’s Bike Of Course Polly Can Ride a Bike Visst kan Lotta cykla 1971 Lotta’s Christmas Surprise Of Course Polly Can Do Almost Anything Visst kan Lotta nästan allting 1965 Lotta’s Easter Surprise Visst är Lotta en glad unge 1990 Emil of Lönneberga series (Emil i Lönneberga) Emil's Little Sister När lilla Ida skulle göra hyss 1984 Emil's Sticky Problem Emils hyss nr 325 1970 Peter & Lena series I Want a Brother or Sister That's My Baby Jag vill också ha ett syskon 1971 I Want to Go to School Too Jag vill också gå i skolan 1971 Pippi Longstocking series (Pippi Långstrump) Pippi on the Run Pippi’s After-Christmas Party Pippi Långstrump har julgransplundring 1950 Pippi Longstocking in the Park Pippi Långstrump i Humlegården 1945 Pippi Moves In! Pippi flyttar in 1969 The Six Bullerby Children / The Children of Noisy Village series (Barnen i Bullerbyn) Christmas in Noisy Village Jul i Bullerbyn 1963 Springtime in Noisy Village Vår i Bullerbyn 1965 Children’s Day in Bullerbu A Day at Bullerby 1967 The Tomten series The Tomten Tomte är vaken 1960 The Tomten and the Fox Räven och Tomten 1966

Individual books [ edit ]

Title Alternative Titles Original Title Original Release English Release Ref. Brenda Helps Grandmother Kajsa Kavat hjälper mormor 1958 A Calf for Christmas När Bäckhultarn for till stan 1989 Christmas in the Stable Jul i stallet 1961 The Day Adam Got Mad Goran’s Great Escape, The Day Adam Got Angry När Adam Engelbrekt blev tvärarg 1991 The Dragon with Red Eyes Draken med de röda ögonen 1985 The Ghost of Skinny Jack Skinn Skerping – Hemskast av alla spöken i Småland 1986 I Don't Want to Go to Bed Jag vill inte gå och lägga mig! 1947 In the Land of Twilight I Skymningslandet 1994 Mirabelle Mirabell 2002 Most Beloved Sister My Very Own Sister Allrakäraste syster 1973 My Nightingale Is Singing Spelar min lind, sjunger min näktergal 1959 The Red Bird Sunnanäng 1959 Rasmus and the Vagabond Rasmus and the Tramp Rasmus på luffen 1956 Scrap and the Pirates Skrallan and the Pirates Skrållan och Sjörövarna 1967 Simon Small Moves In Nils Karlsson-Pyssling flyttar in 1956 The Story Journey From Junedale to Nangilima Sagoresan från Junibacken till Nangilima 2006 2010

Biographies [ edit ]

Autobiographical books [ edit ]

Title Original Title Original Release English Release Ref. A Love story Samuel August från Sevedstorp och Hanna i Hult 1975 2018 [34] I keep your letters under the mattress Dina brev lägger jag under madrassen: en brevväxling 1971-2002 2018 2012 [35] Never Violence Aldrig våld 2018 2018 [36] War Diaries, 1939-1945 Krigsdagböcker 1939-1946 2015 2017 [37]

Other Biographies [ edit ]

Title Author Original Title Original Release English Release Ref. Astrid from Vimmerby Lena Törnqvist Astrid från Vimmerby 1998 [38] Astrid Lindgren – A Critical Study Vivi Edström Astrid Lindgren: Vildtoring och lägereld 1992 [39] Astrid Lindgren, Storyteller to the World Johanna Hurwitz Astrid Lindgren, Storyteller to the World 1989 1989 [40] Astrid Lindgren: The Woman Behind Pippi Longstocking Jens Andersen Denne Dag, Et Liv - En Astrid Lindgren-biografi 2014 2018 [41] Astrid Lindgren (World Authors Series) Eva-Maria Metcalf Astrid Lindgren 1995 1995 [42]

Filmography [ edit ]

This is a chronological list of feature films based on stories by Astrid Lindgren.[43][44] There are live action films as well as animated features. The most films were made in Sweden, followed by Russia. Some are international coproductions.

See also [ edit ]

References [ edit ]

Citations

Hagerfors, Anna-Maria (2002), "Astrids sista farväl", Dagens nyheter, 8/3–2002.

Further reading [ edit ]