“Every
man’s life is a fairy tale written by God’s fingers.”
– Hans Christian Andersen
Born in Odense, Denmark on this date
in 1805, Andersen was first introduced to the wonderful world of fairy tales by
his poor and under-educated father who still found time almost daily to read to
his young son – especially from 1001
Arabian Nights. "Being read to
by a parent” led Andersen to a lifelong love of both reading and fairy tales
and the rest of the world became the beneficiary.
After singing as a child in the
Royal Danish Theatre, Andersen turned to writing when his voice began to
change, first working on theatrical pieces and then switching to fairy
tales. His first efforts were adaptations
from tales he had heard as a child and before discovering the magical worlds in
his own imagination.
The
Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling, The Little Match Girl
and The Emperor’s New Clothes are just a few of the many famous
fairy tales that came from the pen of this prolific and imaginative
author. His stories – translated into
more than 125 languages and shared worldwide – have inspired plays, ballets and
both live-action and animated films. 
Since 1956 (for stories) and 1966
(for illustration), the International Board on Books for Young People has
honored Andersen’s memory by presenting the Hans Christian Andersen Award to an
author and illustrator whose complete works have made a lasting contribution to
children's literature. “Life itself,” Andersen wrote
shortly before his death in 1875, “is
and has been a most wonderful fairy tale.”
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