Hans Christian Andersen

As a child

Born in Odense, Denmark in 1805, Anderson was an intelligent child with ample potential. His family told him numerous times he was related to Danish royalty – but this has since been disproven. Known to memorize the full plays of Shakespeare, Anderson was an imaginative boy, with a great love of literature.

As an adult

Even though he suffered from dyslexia, Anderson pursued his dream of becoming a writer. In 1829, Andersen enjoyed a considerable success with a short story entitled "A Journey on Foot from Holmen's Canal to the East Point of Amager". Andersen published further stories in 1836 and 1837, including O.T. (1836), Only a Fiddler and the Ugly Duckling.

As an artist

Hans Christian Andersen was famous for writing folk stories and fairy tales, many of which have gone on to become timeless classics. His tales, which included The Ugly Duckling and The Little Mermaid were not purely meant for children – they were often laced with meaning for adults too.