Imagine that!

“Everything great that ever happened in this world happened first in somebody’s imagination.”  – Astrid Lindgren 

 

 Astrid Lindgren

Today is the birthday of Astrid Lindgren, the Swedish writer who created one of the world’s most beloved – and iconic – figures, Pippi Longstocking.  Pippi actually emerged in the late 1930s from a bedside conversation Astrid had with daughter Karin.  Karin was ill and as Lindgren sat with her, Karin suddenly said, "Tell me a story about Pippi Longstocking."   Astrid said she had no idea where the name came from but she created a tale as a response, and the rest, as they say …

Pippi opened the creative writing door for Lindgren and today she is the third most translated writer of all time – trailing only Hans Christian Andersen and The Brothers Grimm – with more than 150 million of her books in print.

As is the case with some other writers who I’ve admired, Lindgren started as a journalist.  So, as a journalist first, I still have hope for my imaginative powers (at least I think they still exist).   :-)

 

Happy (and imaginative) writing!

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