Astrid Anna Emilia Lindgren (néeNEE, Nee, Née may refer to:* Née or Nee, French for "born", indicates a person's birth surname* Nee , a band in Kannada* NEE, a political party in Flanders, Belgium* "Ne~e?", a 2003 single by Aya Matsuura- People with the family name :...
) Ericsson (, 14 November 1907 – 28 January 2002) was a
SwedishSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe...
authorAn author is defined both as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created...
and
screenwriterScreenwriters or scenarists or scriptwriters are people in a film crew who write/create the screenplays from which films and television programs are made....
whose many works were translated into 94 languages and published in more than 100 countries. She has sold roughly 145 million copies worldwide. She is best known for the
Pippi LongstockingPippi Longstocking is a fictional character in a series of children's books about a girl who thinks ham is a bird and is by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren, and adapted into multiple films and television series...
and
Karlsson-on-the-RoofKarlsson-on-the-Roof is a fictional character in a series of children's books created by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. The cartoon adaptation became popularised in Russia and other countries of the former USSR with its release in the 1970s...
book series.
Biography
Astrid Lindgren grew up in Näs, near
VimmerbyVimmerby is a city and the seat of Vimmerby Municipality, Kalmar County, Sweden with 7,827 inhabitants in 2005.-Overview:Stångån is a small river running through the city....
,
Småland' is a historical province in southern Sweden.Småland borders Blekinge, Scania or Skåne, Halland, Västergötland, Östergötland and the island Öland in the Baltic Sea. The name Småland literally means Small lands...
, and many of her books are based on her family and childhood memories. However,
Pippi LongstockingPippi Longstocking is a fictional character in a series of children's books about a girl who thinks ham is a bird and is by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren, and adapted into multiple films and television series...
, one of her most famous characters, was invented to please her daughter Karin, who was, at the time, ill and bed-ridden.
Lindgren was the daughter of Samuel August Ericsson and Hanna Johnsson. She had two sisters. Her brother, Gunnar Ericsson, was a member of the Swedish parliament. Upon finishing school, Lindgren took a job with the a local newspaper in
VimmerbyVimmerby is a city and the seat of Vimmerby Municipality, Kalmar County, Sweden with 7,827 inhabitants in 2005.-Overview:Stångån is a small river running through the city....
. When she became pregnant with the chief editor's child in 1926, he proposed marriage. She demurred and moved to
Stockholm' is the capital and largest city of Sweden. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the Riksdag , and the official residence of the Swedish Monarch as well as the prime minister. The Monarch resides at Drottningholm Palace outside of Stockholm since 1980 and uses the Royal Palace of...
, learning to become a typist and stenographer. In due time she gave birth to her son Lars in
CopenhagenCopenhagen ; ) is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban area with a population of 1,167,569 and a metropolitan area with a population of 1,875,179...
and left him in the care of a foster family.
Although poorly paid, she saved whatever she could and travelled 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 1931 she married her boss, Sture Lindgren (1898-1952). Three years later, in 1934, Lindgren gave birth to her second child, Karin, who later became a translator. The family moved in 1941 to an apartment on Dalagatan, with a view over Vasaparken, where Astrid lived until her death.
Astrid Lindgren died in 2002, at the age of 94.
-Steinar Mæland
Career
In 1944 Lindgren won second prize in a competition held by the newly founded publishing house
Rabén & SjögrenRabén & Sjögren is a book publishing company in Sweden. It was established in 1942 by Hans Rabén and Carl-Olof Sjögren....
with her novel
Britt-Marie lättar sitt hjärta (
Britt-Marie unburdens her heart). A year later she won first prize in the same competition with the children's book
Pippi Långstrump (
Pippi LongstockingPippi Longstocking is a fictional character in a series of children's books about a girl who thinks ham is a bird and is by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren, and adapted into multiple films and television series...
), which has since become one of the most beloved children's books in the world. She had already sent Pippi Longstocking to the Bonniers publishing house but was rejected. 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.
The women's magazine
Damernas Värld sent Lindgren to the USA in 1948 to write short essays. Upon arrival she is said to have been upset by the discrimination against African Americans. A few years later she published the book
Kati in America, a collection of short essays inspired by the trip.
In 1956, she won the
Deutscher JugendliteraturpreisThe Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis is an annual award established in 1956 by the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth to recognise outstanding works of children's literature. It is Germany's only state-funded literary award. In the past, authors from many countries...
.
In 1958, Lindgren became the second recipient of the
Hans Christian Andersen AwardThe Hans Christian Andersen Award, sometimes known as the "Little Nobel Prize", is an international award given biennially by the International Board on Books for Young People in recognition of a "lasting contribution to children's literature"...
, an international award for youth literature. On her 90th birthday, she was pronounced Swede of the Year by a radio show.
In its entry on
ScandinaviaScandinavia is a geographical region in northern Europe that includes, and is named after, the Scanian Province. It consists of the kingdoms of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark...
n
fantasyFantasy is a genre that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting. Many works within the genre take place on fictional planes or planets where magic is common...
,
The Encyclopedia of FantasyThe Encyclopedia of Fantasy is a 1997 reference work on fantasy, edited by John Clute and John Grant. Other contributors include Mike Ashley, Neil Gaiman, Diana Wynne Jones, David Langford, Sam J. Lundwall, Michael Scott Rohan, Brian Stableford and Lisa Tuttle.The book was well-received upon...
named Lindgren the foremost Swedish contributor to modern children's fantasy. 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."
Politics
In 1976, a scandal arose in Sweden when Lindgren's
marginal tax rateIn a tax system and in economics, the tax rate describes the burden ratio at which a business or person is taxed. There are several methods used to present a tax rate: statutory, average, marginal, effective, effective average, and effective marginal...
was publicized to have risen to 102%. This was to be known as the "
Pomperipossa effect"Pomperipossa in Monismania" is a satirical story written by the Swedish children's book author Astrid Lindgren in response to the 102% marginal tax rate she incurred in 1976...
" from a story she published in
ExpressenExpressen is one of two nationwide evening tabloid newspapers in Sweden, the other being Aftonbladet. Expressen was founded 1944, its symbol is a wasp and slogans "it stings" or "Expressen to your rescue", always on the readers's side....
on 3 March 1976. The publication led to a stormy tax debate. In the parliamentary election later in the same year the Social Democrat government was voted out for the first time in 40 years, and the Lindgren tax debate was one of several controversies that may have contributed to this result.
Astrid Lindgren was well known both for her support for
children'sChildren's rights are the perceived human rights of children with particular attention to the rights of special protection and care afforded to the young, including their right to association with both biological parents, human identity as well as the basic needs for food, universal state-paid...
and
animal rightsAnimal rights, also referred to as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of humans...
, and for her opposition to
corporal punishmentCorporal punishment is the deliberate infliction of pain as retribution for an offence, or for the purpose of disciplining or reforming a wrongdoer, or to change an undesirable attitude or behaviour...
. In 1994, she received the
Right Livelihood AwardThe Right Livelihood Award, established in 1980 by Jakob von Uexkull, is an award that is presented annually, usually on 9 December, to honour those "working on practical and exemplary solutions to the most urgent challenges facing the world today"...
(also known as the Alternative
Nobel PrizeThe Nobel Prize is a Sweden-based international monetary prize. The award was established by the 1895 will and estate of Swedish chemist and inventor Alfred Nobel. It was first awarded in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace in 1901...
), "...For her commitment to justice, non-violence and understanding of minorities as well as her love and caring for nature."
Honors and memorials
In 1967, Rabén & Sjögren established an annual literary prize, the Astrid Lindgren Prize, in connection with her 60th birthday. The prize,
SEKThe krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. It is locally abbreviated kr. The plural form is kronor and one krona is subdivided into 100 öre . The currency is sometimes informally referred to as the "Swedish crown" in English...
40,000, is awarded to a
Swedish languageSwedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the coast and on the Åland islands. It is to a considerable extent mutually intelligible with Norwegian and to a lesser extent with Danish...
children's author, every year on her birthday in November.
Following Lindgren's death, the
government of SwedenThe government of Sweden is a constitutional monarchy based on parliamentary democracy. The affairs of the government of Sweden are directed by a cabinet of ministers, which is led by the Prime Minister...
instituted the
Astrid Lindgren Memorial AwardThe Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award is a Swedish children's literature award, established by the Swedish government in 2002 in honour of the Swedish children's books writer Astrid Lindgren...
in her memory. The award is the world's largest monetary award for children's and youth literature, in the amount of five million
SEKThe krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. It is locally abbreviated kr. The plural form is kronor and one krona is subdivided into 100 öre . The currency is sometimes informally referred to as the "Swedish crown" in English...
.
The collection of Astrid Lindgren's original manuscripts in
Kungliga Biblioteket (the Royal Library),
Stockholm' is the capital and largest city of Sweden. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the Riksdag , and the official residence of the Swedish Monarch as well as the prime minister. The Monarch resides at Drottningholm Palace outside of Stockholm since 1980 and uses the Royal Palace of...
, was placed on
UNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on 16 November 1945...
's World heritage list in 2005.
"Asteroid Lindgren"
A
minor planetAn asteroid group or minor planet group is a population of minor planets that have a share broadly similar orbits. Members are generally unrelated to each other, unlike in an asteroid family, which often results from the break-up of a single asteroid...
,
3204 Lindgren3204 Lindgren is an asteroid discovered by Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh in September 1, 1978. In 1996 it was named after the Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren by the Russian Academy of Science. When announced, she is said to have declared "From now on you can address me Asteroid Lindgren"....
, discovered in 1978 by
SovietThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
astronomer
Nikolai Stepanovich ChernykhNikolay Stepanovich Chernykh was a Soviet, Lithuanian and Russian astronomer.Chernykh was born in the city of Usman' in Voronezh Oblast...
, was named after her. The name of the Swedish micro satellite
Astrid 1Astrid-1 and Astrid-2 were two microsatellites designed and developed by Swedish Space Corporation on behalf of the Swedish National Space Board. They were piggyback launched on a Cosmos-3M launch vehicle from Plesetsk, Russia...
, 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 said that maybe people should call her Asteroid Lindgren instead.
"Astrid's Wellspring"
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 same place where Astrid Lindgren first heard fairy tales.
It consists of an artistic representation of a young person's head (1.37m high), 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. Astrid Lindgren furthermore 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.
Lindgren's childhood home is near the statue and open for public. Just 100 meters from "Astrid's Wellspring" is a museum in her memory. The author is buried in Vimmerby where the
Astrid Lindgrens WorldAstrid Lindgrens World is a theme park located in Astrid Lindgren's native city Vimmerby, Sweden. In its 130,000 square metres, you meet all the beloved characters from Astrid Lindgren's books in person...
theme park is also located. The children's museum
JunibackenJunibacken is a children’s museum situated on the island of Djurgården in the centre of Stockholm, Sweden. The museum was officially opened by the Swedish Royal Family on June 8, 1996. The museum is Stockholm’s 5th most-visited tourist attraction. The museum is devoted to Swedish children’s...
, Stockholm, was opened in June 1996, with the main theme of the permanent exhibition being devoted to Astrid Lindgren: the heart of the museum is a theme train ride through the world of Astrid Lindren's novels.
Filmography
This is a chronological list of feature films based on stories by Astrid Lindgren:
- Mästerdetektiven Blomkvist (1947) - director: Rolf Husberg
- Pippi Långstrump
Pippi Longstocking is a 1949 Swedish film directed by Per Gunvall and starring Viveca Serlachius as Pippi Longstocking.- Cast :*Viveca Serlachius as Pippi Longstocking*Tord Garnmark as Tommy*Berit Essler as Annika...
(1949) - director: Per Gunwall
- Mästerdetektiven och Rasmus (1953) - director: Rolf Husberg
- Luffaren och Rasmus (1955) - director: Rolf Husberg
- Rasmus, Pontus och Toker (1956) - director: Stig Olin
Stig Olin was a Swedish actor, theatre director, songwriter and singer. Father of actress Lena Olin and Swedish singer Mats Olin...
- Mästerdetektiven Blomkvist lever farligt (1957) - director: Olle Hellbom
Nils Olof "Olle" Hellbom was a Swedish film director, producer, and writer. He is most famous for directing films based on novels by Astrid Lindgren.-Director:* 1957 - Mästerdetektiven Blomkvist lever farligt...
- Alla vi barn i Bullerbyn (1960) - director: Olle Hellbom
- Bara roligt i Bullerbyn (1961) - director: Olle Hellbom
- Vi på Saltkråkan
Vi på Saltkråkan is a Swedish TV series in 13 25-minute episodes from 1964. The script for the series was written by Astrid Lindgren, who later re-wrote it as a book, also titled Vi på Saltkråkan...
(1964 TV series, 1968 theatrical release) - director: Olle Hellbom
- Tjorven, Båtsman och Moses (1964) - director: Olle Hellbom
- Tjorven och Skrållan (1965) - director: Olle Hellbom
- Tjorven och Mysak (1966) - director: Olle Hellbom
- Skrållan, Ruskprick och Knorrhane (1967) - director: Olle Hellbom
- Pippi Långstrump
Pippi Longstocking is a 1969 film, based on the eponymous children's books by Astrid Lindgren with the cast of the 1969 TV series. This movie is collection of some episodes of the original TV series and was released in the U.S...
(1969, edited from 1968-69 TV series) - director: Olle Hellbom
- Här kommer Pippi Långstrump
Pippi Goes on Board is a 1969 film, based on the eponymous children's books by Astrid Lindgren with the cast of the 1969 TV series.-Cast:*Inger Nilsson - Pippi Longstocking*Maria Persson - Annika...
(1969, edited from 1968-69 TV series) - director: Olle Hellbom
- På rymmen med Pippi Långstrump
Pippi on the Run is a 1970 film, based on the eponymous children's books by Astrid Lindgren with the cast of the 1969 TV series...
(1970) - director: Olle Hellbom
- Pippi Långstrump på de sju haven
Pippi in the South Seas is a 1970 film, based on the eponymous children's books by Astrid Lindgren with the cast of the 1969 TV series.-Plot:...
(1970) - director: Olle Hellbom
- Emil i Lönneberga (1971) - director: Olle Hellbom
- Nya hyss av Emil i Lönneberga (1972) - director: Olle Hellbom
- Emil och griseknoen (1973) - director: Olle Hellbom
- Världens bästa Karlsson (1974) - director: Olle Hellbom
- Bröderna Lejonhjärta
The Brothers Lionheart is a 1977 Swedish film directed by Olle Hellbom and based on the book The Brothers Lionheart by Astrid Lindgren...
(1977) - director: Olle Hellbom
- Du är inte klok, Madicken (1979) - director: Göran Graffman
- Madicken på Junibacken (1980) - director: Göran Graffman
- Rasmus på luffen (1981) - director: Olle Hellbom
- Ronja Rövardotter
Ronia, the Robber's Daughter is a 1984 Swedish/Norwegian fantasy film directed by Tage Danielsson, based on the novel of the same title by Astrid Lindgren, and adapted for the screen by Lindgren herself.When the film was broadcast on television two years after the theatrical premiere, the film was...
(1984) - director: Tage DanielssonTage Danielsson was a Swedish author, actor, poet and film director. He was born in Linköping and died in Stockholm...
- Alla vi barn i Bullerbyn
Alla vi barn i Bullerbyn is a Swedish family television series based on two movies directed by Lasse Hallström based on books by Astrid Lindgren. The first movie, called Alla vi Barn i Bullerbyn premiered in 1986 and the second one, Mer om oss barn i Bullerbyn premiered the following year...
(1986) - director: Lasse HallströmLars Sven "Lasse" Hallström is a Swedish film director.Hallström's mother was the Swedish writer Karin Lyberg...
- Mer om oss barn i Bullerbyn
Alla vi barn i Bullerbyn is a Swedish family television series based on two movies directed by Lasse Hallström based on books by Astrid Lindgren. The first movie, called Alla vi Barn i Bullerbyn premiered in 1986 and the second one, Mer om oss barn i Bullerbyn premiered the following year...
(1987) - director: Lasse Hallström
- Mio, min Mio
Mio in the Land of Faraway is a fantasy film directed by Vladimir Grammatikov and starring Christopher Lee, Christian Bale, Nicholas Pickard, Timothy Bottoms and Susannah York...
(1987) - director: Vladimir Grammatikov
- Kajsa Kavat (1988) - director: Daniel Bergman
Daniel Sebastian Bergman , born 7 September, 1962, is a Swedish film director. He is the son of Ingmar Bergman and Käbi Laretei.-Selected filmography:* 1987 - Ägget* 1989 - Kajsa Kavat...
- The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking
The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking is a 1988 fantasy-adventure-musical film based on the books of the fictional character Pippi Longstocking, created by Swedish children's book author Astrid Lindgren . While the title suggests the movie is a continuation, it is in fact a remake of the...
(1988) - director: Ken AnnakinKenneth Cooper Annakin, OBE was an English film director.-Biography:His career in feature films followed early experience making documentaries, he made his fiction film debut in 1947 with the Rank Organisation...
- Godnatt herr luffare! (1988) - director: Daniel Bergman
- Allra käraste syster (1988) - director: Göran Carmback
- Inga rövare finns i skogen (1988) - director: Göran Carmback
- Gull-Pian (1988) - director: Staffan Götestam
- Hoppa högst (1988) - director: Johanna Hald
- Nånting levande åt Lame-Kal (1988) - director: Magnus Nanne
- Peter och Petra (1989) - director: Agneta Elers-Jarleman
- Nils Karlsson Pyssling (1990) - director: Staffan Götestam
- Pelle flyttar till Konfusenbo (1990) - director: Johanna Hald
- Lotta på Bråkmakargatan (1992) - director: Johanna Hald
- Lotta 2 – Lotta flyttar hemifrån (1993) - director: Johanna Hald
- Kalle Blomkvist – Mästerdetektiven lever farligt (1996) - director: Göran Carmback
- Kalle Blomkvist och Rasmus (1997) - director: Göran Carmback
- Pippi Långstrump (1997, animated) - director: Clive Smith
Clive A. Smith was one of three men who helped found Canada's animation studio Nelvana in the 1970s. Smith worked on some of his studio's first TV specials, including A Cosmic Christmas and The Devil and Daniel Mouse...
- Pippi i Söderhavet (1999) - director: Paul Riley
- Karlsson på taket (2002, animated) - director: Vibeke Idsøe
External links
- Astrid Lindgren's works — Official site produced by license holders
- Astrid Lindgren's World — Amusement Park official site
- Astrid Lindgrens Näs — Official site produced by the Astrid Lindgren-museum and culture center Astrid Lindgrens Näs in Vimmerby
- Astrid Lindgren — Right Livelihood Award (1994)
- Astrid Lindgren — A fan site
- Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002) — Biography of Astrid Lindgren. Includes bibliography, with date and English translation of title.
- Astrid spacecraft description — NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program. NASA was established by the National Aeronautics and Space Act on July 29, 1958, replacing its predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for...
's National Space Science Data Center site