Astrid Lindgren facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Astrid Anna Emilia Lindgren
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Lindgren c. 1960
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| Born | Astrid Anna Emilia Lindgren 14 November 1907 Vimmerby, Kalmar, Sweden |
| Died | January 28, 2002 (aged 94) Stockholm, Sweden |
| Resting place | Vimmerby, Kalmar |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Period | 1904-2002 |
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Astrid Anna Emilia Lindgren (born Ericsson; 14 November 1907 – 28 January 2002) was a famous Swedish writer. She wrote many popular children's books and screenplays. You might know her best for characters like Pippi Longstocking, Emil of Lönneberga, Karlsson-on-the-Roof, and the Six Bullerby Children. She also wrote amazing fantasy novels such as Mio, My Son, Ronia the Robber's Daughter, and The Brothers Lionheart.
Astrid Lindgren worked at a publishing house and wrote over 30 books for kids. Her books have been translated into many languages. By 2010, she had sold about 167 million books worldwide! In 1994, she won the Right Livelihood Award. This award honored her for writing about children's rights and respecting their unique personalities. She also helped create the world's first law against hitting children in 1979. Her work also led to a new law for animal welfare, called Lex Lindgren.
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Her Early Life
Astrid Lindgren was born on November 14, 1907. She grew up in a place called Näs, near Vimmerby in Sweden. Her parents were Samuel August Ericsson and Hanna Jonsson. Astrid had two sisters, Stina and Ingegerd, and a brother, Gunnar. Gunnar later became a member of the Swedish parliament.
After finishing school, Astrid got a job at a local newspaper, Vimmerby Tidning. She learned to be a typist and a stenographer. In 1926, she had her first son, Lars. She worked hard to care for him. She saved money and traveled often to Copenhagen to visit Lars. Eventually, she brought him home to live with her parents.
In 1931, Astrid married Sture Lindgren. Three years later, in 1934, she had her second child, a daughter named Karin. Karin later became a translator.
The idea for the character Pippi Longstocking came from Karin. When Karin was sick in bed, she asked her mother to tell her a story about "Pippi Longstocking." Astrid then created the famous character.
In 1941, the family moved to an apartment in Stockholm. Astrid lived there until she passed away. She died at home on January 28, 2002, at 94 years old. Her funeral was a very important event. Many people attended, including the King and Queen of Sweden and the Prime Minister.
Her Writing Career
As the children were sitting there eating pears, a girl came walking along the road from town. When she saw the children she stopped and asked, "Have you seen my papa go by?"
"M-m-m," said Pippi. "How did he look? Did he have blue eyes?"
"Yes," said the girl.
"Medium large, not too tall and not too short?"
"Yes," said the girl.
"Black hat and black shoes?"
"Yes, exactly," said the girl eagerly.
"No, that one we haven't seen," said Pippi decidedly.
Before becoming a full-time writer, Astrid Lindgren worked as a journalist and secretary. In the early 1940s, she was a secretary for a crime expert named Harry Söderman. This experience later inspired her detective stories about Bill Bergson.
In 1944, Astrid won second prize in a writing contest. She won with her novel The Confidences of Britt-Marie. The next year, in 1945, she won first prize in the same contest. This time, she won with her book Pippi Longstocking. This book had been turned down by another publisher.
Pippi Longstocking was published by Rabén & Sjögren. It quickly became one of the most loved children's books in the world. It has been translated into at least 100 languages. Astrid Lindgren became a very popular writer. Some people didn't like how her characters sometimes challenged adult rules.
In 1956, her book Mio, My Son won an award in Germany. In 1958, Astrid received the Hans Christian Andersen Award. This award is one of the highest honors for children's book creators. It is sometimes called the "Little Nobel Prize."
Astrid Lindgren wrote more than 30 books for children. By 2017, she was one of the most translated authors in the world.
Her Work for Rights
Astrid Lindgren was a strong supporter of children's rights. In 1978, she gave a speech called Never Violence!. In this speech, she spoke out against hitting children. She then worked with scientists, journalists, and politicians. They wanted to promote raising children without violence.
Because of her efforts, Sweden passed a law in 1979. This law made it illegal to use violence against children. It was the first law of its kind anywhere in the world.
From 1985 to 1989, Astrid also wrote articles about animal protection. She worked with a veterinarian named Kristina Forslund. They wrote about factory farming in Swedish newspapers. They wanted to raise awareness and improve how farm animals were treated.
Their work led to a new law called Lex Lindgren. This law was given to Astrid on her 80th birthday. At the time, it was the strictest animal welfare law in the world. However, Astrid and Kristina felt that more still needed to be done. The articles they wrote were later published in a book.
Astrid Lindgren was known for supporting children's and animal rights. She was against hitting children and also against the EU. In 1994, she received the Right Livelihood Award. This was for her dedication to fairness, non-violence, and understanding minorities. It also recognized her love and care for nature.
Awards and Tributes
In 1967, her publisher created the Astrid Lindgren Prize. This yearly award celebrates Swedish children's writers. It is given out on Astrid's birthday in November.
In 1995, the Swedish government gave her a special gold medal. On her 90th birthday, she was named the "International Swede of the Year 1997."
Experts in fantasy literature say Astrid Lindgren is the most important Swedish writer in modern children's fantasy. They say her stories and characters will always be remembered.
After Astrid Lindgren passed away, the Swedish government created the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. This is the largest money prize for children's and youth literature in the world. It is worth five million Swedish kronor.
Her original handwritten stories are kept in the Royal Library in Stockholm. In 2005, these were added to UNESCO's Memory of the World Register. This means they are very important historical documents.
In 2011, Sweden's central bank announced that Astrid Lindgren's picture would be on the 20 kronor banknote. This started in 2014–2015. A movie about her early life, called Becoming Astrid, was released in 2018.
Asteroid Lindgren
An asteroid discovered in 1978 was named 3204 Lindgren after her. A Swedish satellite launched in 1995 was also named Astrid 1. Its instruments were named after characters from her books: PIPPI, EMIL, and MIO.
Astrid's Wellspring
A special sculpture was made near her childhood home. It is called Källa Astrid, which means "Astrid's Wellspring." This is where Astrid first heard fairy tales. The sculpture shows a young person's head in a pond.
Astrid's childhood home is open to visitors. There is also a museum about her nearby. She is buried in Vimmerby. The Astrid Lindgren's World theme park is also located there. In Stockholm, the Junibacken children's museum has a main exhibit about Astrid Lindgren. It includes a train ride through the worlds of her novels.
Works
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Translations
By 2012, Astrid Lindgren's books had been translated into 95 different languages. The first chapter of Ronja the Robber's Daughter was even translated into Latin. By 1997, about 3,000 different versions of her books had been published around the world. By the time she died, her books had sold 80 million copies. This number grew to about 167 million by 2010.
Filmography
Many of Astrid Lindgren's books have been made into films. The first film based on her work was Bill Bergson, Master Detective in 1947. This was followed by a film version of Pippi Longstocking in 1949, and many more movies after that.
Books
Some of her famous books and series include:
- The Pippi Longstocking series (Pippi Långstrump)
- The Six Bullerby Children (Barnen i Bullerbyn)
- Mio, my Mio (also known as Mio, my Son) (Mio, min Mio)
- Karlsson-on-the-Roof
- Madicken
- Emil of Lönneberga
- The Brothers Lionheart (Bröderna Lejonhjärta)
- Ronia the Robber's Daughter (Ronja rövardotter)
Images for kids
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Källa Astrid (Astrid's Wellspring) by Berit Lindfeldt
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Lindgren Museum
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Lindgren gravesite
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Lindgren at her typewriter. Statue created by Marie-Louise Ekman, in the center of Vimmerby
See also
In Spanish: Astrid Lindgren para niños
- List of Swedish language writers
