Louis Jensen facts for kids

Louis Jensen in Decorah, Iowa in 2008

Louis Jensen (born July 19, 1943 – died March 4, 2021) was a Danish author. He was known for his new and creative ways of writing stories. He used styles like flash fiction (very short stories), metafiction (stories that talk about themselves), prose poetry (poems written like regular paragraphs), and magical realism (where magic feels real).

Louis Jensen wrote over 90 books for both kids and adults. He was most famous for his children's books. These included picture books, short stories, and novels. His writing often used fun wordplay and new ways to tell a story. Because of this, people compared his work to famous authors like Borges, Calvino, and Gogol. His stories were also inspired by old fairy tales and folk tales, especially those by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen.

In 1992, Jensen started a special project called "Square Story." He planned to write 1001 very short stories, each shaped like a square block of text. Over 24 years, he reached his goal! These stories were put into books, with 100 stories in each. In 2016, he published his tenth book of 100 stories, plus an eleventh book with the very last story. One critic called this project "one of the most radical literary projects" in Danish writing. These Square Stories became popular with both kids and adults.

In Louis Jensen's many books, readers enter a world where anything can happen. A critic named Anna Karlskov Skyggebjerg said that in most of his books, the main characters are connected to magic or fantasy. But like Hans Christian Andersen, Jensen used these fantasy worlds to show real dangers and feelings like love and sadness. Skyggebjerg noted that Jensen's books have "a great deal of cruelty and evil, but also love and friendship."

Jensen won many awards for his writing. He was nominated several times for the two biggest international awards for children's books: the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award and the Hans Christian Andersen Award. He was even on the short list (meaning he was one of the top 5 authors chosen from 34 countries) for the Hans Christian Andersen Award twice, in 2010 and 2016. In 2002, he received a special award from the Danish National Art Foundation. This award gave him money every year for his lifetime contributions to Danish arts and culture. In 2014, he was nominated for the Nordic Council Children and Young People's Literature Prize. The Nordic Council praised his stories for being both "humorous and serious." They said his work brought greetings from Hans Christian Andersen and other great writers to all who read along.

Life

Louis Jensen was born in Nibe, Denmark. This town is near the Limfjord in northern Jutland. He wrote about his mother's childhood in his book "En historie om seks søstre" (A story of six sisters). When he was 12, his family moved from Nibe to Beder, south of Aarhus. This move was hard for him. He missed his friends and the woods and water from his childhood home. Many of his books, like "Elefanterne holdt hver gang med Tarzan" (The elephants always sided with Tarzan), include memories of his childhood in Nibe.

When he was a young man, Jensen studied to become an architect. He focused on planning cities. He worked as an architect and city planner for a company near the Aarhus town hall. He published his first poem in 1970 in a magazine called "Hvedekorn." His first book of poems came out in 1972. His first novel for young readers, "Krystalmanden" (The Crystal Man), was published in 1986. From 1992, he became a full-time author. He lived in Aarhus with his wife, Elisabeth Wegger, who is a painter. He had three grown children and several grandchildren. Louis Jensen passed away in Aarhus on March 4, 2021, after having a heart attack while riding his bike with friends.

Works

Square Story Project

The Square Stories are a unique type of story Louis Jensen created. They are very short stories, shaped like a square block of text, with one story printed on each page. Jensen published ten books, each with 100 stories. With the eleventh and final book, which had 100 pictures and one story, he reached his goal of writing 1001 stories.

All 1001 square stories share some special features. They are all short, usually less than 100 words. They are also all squares, except for one triangular story in the fourth book. Each story has a number, but it's inside the story itself, not on the page. The first story starts with "engang der var," which means "once there was." This is a twist on the usual Danish fairy tale opening, "der var engang" (once upon a time). The stories that follow are numbered: "a second time there was," "a third time," and so on, all the way up to "a one thousand and first time there was." Each of the ten main books also has a final, unnumbered story that begins "en helt anden gang," or "another time altogether."

A translator and critic named Lise Kildegaard explained that the numbering of the stories makes reading them a special experience. The numbers show how big the 1001-story project is. They also help the reader know exactly where they are in the collection.

The Square Stories are very different in what they are about and how they are written. Some are like fairy tales, with kings, queens, and dragons. Other stories feature people, animals, or even talking trees and grass. Some stories even have everyday objects as characters, like forks, frying pans, and rubber balls. This is like the old Scandinavian "object fairy tales." Some Square Stories are about the letters of the alphabet, words, or even the stories themselves.

Jensen also wrote many stories that don't have characters, a plot, or any action. These fun and poetic stories show how closely Jensen observed nature. They also show his love for a world that mixes familiar things with strange ones, and everyday life with amazing visions.

The Square Stories are popular with many different readers. Søren Fanø, an expert in children's literature, said that younger kids just listen to the stories. Older kids think about their shape and meaning. High school students study and understand them. And some adults even collect them!

The eleven books of the Square Stories were illustrated by Lilian Brøgger, a famous Danish illustrator. In the first ten books, every ten stories are followed by a two-page picture. These pictures add to the unique charm of the books. The first books had black and white drawings. Brøgger started adding color in the fourth book. The last book in the series, illustrated by Lilian Brøgger and Maria Lundén, has 134 pages of drawings, mostly in color. Many of the pictures in this final book refer back to stories from the earlier books. Critic Anna Karlskov Skyggebjerg said that Brøgger's pictures "gave the texts new meanings" without taking away the many ways they could be understood. She also said Brøgger's illustrations were "just as innovative" as the stories.

The eleven books of the 1001 Square Stories are:

• Hundrede historier (A hundred stories). Gyldendal 1992.
• Hundrede nye historier (A hundred new stories). Gyldendal 1995.
• Hundrede splinternye historier (A hundred brand new stories). Gyldendal 2000.
• Hundrede firkantede historier (A hundred square stories). Gyldendal 2002.
• Hundrede meget firkantede historier (A hundred very square stories). Gyldendal 2005.
• Hundrede helt & aldeles firkantede historier (A hundred altogether and completely square stories). Gyldendal 2007.
• Hallo!: flere hundrede historier (Hello! A hundred more stories). Gyldendal 2009.
• Halli! hallo! så er der nye firkantede historier (Hello hello! Here's a hundred new square stories). Gyldendal 2012.
• Hurra og velkommen! Nye firkanter (Hooray and you're welcome! New squares). Gyldendal 2014.
• Så er butikken åben! Nye firkanter på alle hylder (The store is open! New squares on all the shelves). Gyldendal 2016.
• Der er ingen ende: altid en ny historie (There is no end: always a new story). Gyldendal 2016.

Children's and young adult books

• Krystalmanden (The crystal man). Gyldendal 1986.
• Tusindfuglen (A thousand birds). Gyldendal 1987.
• Hjerterejsen (The heart's journey). Gyldendal 1988.
• Drageflyverne og syv andre historier (Hang gliders and seven other stories). Gyldendal 1988.
• Det grønne spor (The green path). Gyldendal 1989.
• Karl Kluges dobbelte skattejagt (Karl Kluge's double treasure hunt). Gyldendal 1990.
• Plus-Four og Katten-Skatten (Plus-Four and Katten-Skatten). Gyldendal 1991.
• Skelettet på hjul (The skeleton on wheels). Gyldendal 1992.
• Den fortryllede by (The enchanted town). Gyldendal 1993.
• Karl Kluge og Ondskaben (Karl Kluge and evil). Gyldendal 1994.
• Nøgen (Naked). Gyldendal 1995.
• Et hus er et ansigt – en bog for børn om arkitektur (A house is a face: a book about architecture for children). Gyldendal 1998.
• Den kløvede mand (The cloven man). Gyldendal 1999.
• Den strandede mand – tolv fortællinger om havet og hjertet (The man on the beach: twelve stories of the sea and the heart). Høst & Søn 2000.
• Den frygtelige hånd (The scary hand). Høst & Søn 2001.
• Tinhjerte og ællingefjer: en bog om H.C. Andersen (Tin heart and duckling feathers: a book about H C Andersen). Høst & Søn 2004.
• En historie om seks søstre (A story of six sisters). Gyldendal 2009.
• Stygge streger: en kunstbog for børn (Ugly lines: an art book for children). Klematis 2009.
• 2 kroner og 25 øre (2 crowns and 25 cents). Gyldendal 2010.
• Kejserinden (The empress). Replikant 2011.
• Rejsen til Gud (The journey to God). Gyldendal 2011.
• Rejsen til min far (The journey to my father). Gyldendal 2012.
• L.I.V. - en historie om forelskelse (LIV—a story about love). Gyldendal 2013.
• Kong Knap og bamsens forsvundne øje (King Button, and the teddy bear's lost eye). Gyldendal 2013.
• Tork og Hest (Tork and Horse). Alfa 2012.
• Tre venner (Three friends). Gyldendal 2013. Illustrated by Hanne Bartholin.
• Tork og Hest - Den store blyant (Tork and Horse—The big pencil). Jensen & Dalgaard 2014.
• Elefanterne holdt hver gang med Tarzan: en bog om drenge (The elephants always sided with Tarzan: a book about boys). Gyldendal 2014.
• Tork og Hest - på nye eventyr (The new adventures of Tork and Horse). Jensen & Dalgaard 2015.
• Tork og Hest - Den Porcelæne Danserinde (Tork and Horse—The Porcelain Dancer). Jensen & Dalgaard 2016.
• Drengen der fik en hunds hjerte (The boy who got the heart of a dog). Gyldendal 2016.
• Tork og Hest - Den Onde Troldmand (Tork and Horse—The Evil Wizard). Jensen & Dalgaard 2017.
• På bakken højt oppe et hvidt hus (High on the hill a white house). Gyldendal 2017.
• Lakridsmanden (The Licorice Man). Child Experience Design 2017.
• Manden med nøglehullerne: 18 magiske fortællinger (The man with keyholes: 18 magical stories). Gyldendal 2018.

Picture books

• Zoofabetet (Zoophabet). Alinea 1996.
• Hjalmars nye hat (Hjalmar's new hat). Gyldendal 1997.
• Hendes Kongelige Højhed Museprinsessen (Her Royal Highness the Princess Mouse). Gyldendal 1998.
• De bortblæste bogstaver (The blown away alphabet). Gyldendal 2001.
• Byen hvor husene bytter plads (The town where the houses switched places). Høst & Søn 2001.
• Luis og sølvmønten (Luis and the silver coin). Danida 2002.
• Bogstavskolen (The alphabet school). Gyldendal 2002.
• Den vrangvendte bamse (The inside-out teddy bear). Høst & Søn 2002.
• Månebåden (The moonboat). Danida 2003.
• Hør her stær! (Listen up, bird!) Høst & Søn 2004.
• Den meget tørstige mor (The very thirsty mother). Høst & Søn 2005.
• Bent og den kinesiske kasse (Bent and the Chinese Box). Gyldendal 2007.
• Emma og bogstaverne (Emma and the alphabet). Gyldendal 2012.
• Mix & Bax på arbejde (Mix and Bax at work). Gyldendal 2017.
• Milles Malebog (Mille's Painting Book). Gyldendal 2020.

Easy Readers

• Blå kong serie (The blue king series): Dansklærerforeningen Forlag 2001
  • Flyveren (The flyers)
  • Skoven (The woods)
  • Dukken (The doll)
  • Bålet (The bonfire)
  • Havet (The sea)
• Drengen og kufferten serie [The boy and the suitcase series]: Dansklærerforeningen Forlag 2001
  • Drengen og den brune kuffert (The boy and the brown suitcase)
  • Drengen og den sorte kuffert (The boy and the black suitcase)
  • Drengen og den blå kuffert (The boy and the blue suitcase)
  • Drengen og den gule kuffert (The boy and the yellow suitcase)
  • Drengen og den hvide kuffert (The boy and the white suitcase)
• Engang var der serie (Once upon a time series): Dansklærerforeningen Forlag, 2002
  • Kvi-vit (Tweet tweet)
  • Sji-sju (Drip drop)
  • Muuh (Mooo)
  • Blob (Plop)
  • Råb-råb (Hey hey)
• Danskfidusen serie (Danish easy readers series): Dansklærerforeningen Forlag 2002
  • Jeg har en næse (I have a nose)
  • Jeg har en mund (I have a mouth)
  • Jeg har to øjne (I have two eyes)
  • Jeg har hår på hovedet (I have hair on my head)
  • Jeg har to fødder (I have two feet)

Translations

Some of Louis Jensen's stories have been translated into other languages, including:

• Three Square Stories. Translated by Lise Kildegaard. Translation: A Translation Studies Journal. Vol. 2, Fall 2007.
• The Echo of Wonder. Translated by Thomas E. Kennedy. The McNeese Review. Vol. 50, Issue 2. 2012.
• Five Square Stories. Translated by Lise Kildegaard. Iowa Review, Volume 42, Issue 1. Spring 2012.
• Uma jornada para Deus (Rejsen til Gud). Translated into Portuguese by Eloísa Lemos Fochi. Edelbra, 2013.

Adaptations

Louis Jensen's Square Stories and other works have been turned into plays:

• "100 Historier--og en til" ("100 Stories--and one more"). Based on the square stories. Theater Corona la Balance, Copenhagen. 2008, 2009.
• "Mak-værk" ("Botch-Up"). Based on the square stories. Teater Refleksion, Aarhus. 2008.
• "Square Stories." Based on the square stories, translated by Lise Kildegaard. Luther College, Decorah IA. 2008.
• "En Mærkelig Have" ("A Remarkable Garden"). Based on 23 square stories. Teaterværkstedet Madam Bach, 2009.
• "Rejsen til Gud" ("The Journey to God"). Based on the short story. ZeBU Theatre, Copenhagen. 2016.
• "Drengen Der Fik En Hunds Hjerte" ("The Boy Who Got the Heart of a Dog"). Based on the novel. Teatret Zeppelin, Copenhagen. 2018.

Awards and honors

Louis Jensen received many awards for his writing:

• Kulturministeriets Børnebogspris (Danish Ministry of Culture's Children's Book Prize), 1989.
• Statens Kunstfond Produktionspræmie (Danish National Art Foundation Prize), 1991 and 1995.
• Nordisk Skolebibliotekarforenings Børnebogspris (Nordic Children's Book Prize), 1996.
• Dansk Forfatterforenings H.C. Andersen Legat (H.C. Andersen Stipend), 1998.
• Statens Kunstfond Livsvarig ydelse (Danish National Art Foundation Lifelong Stipend), 2002–present.
• Gyldendals Store Børnebogspris (Gyldendal's Major Children's Book Prize), 2009.
• Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award: nominated 11 times (2004–2010; 2014; 2016–2018).
• Hans Christian Andersen Award: nominated several times; short-listed in 2010 and 2016.
• Nordic Council Children and Young People's Literature Prize: nominated in 2014 for Halli! hallo! så er der nye firkantede historier (Hello hello! Here's a Hundred New Square Stories).
• Montanas Litteraturpris: nominated with Lillian Brøgger, 2016, for Der er ingen ende: altid en ny historie (There is no end: always a new story).
• Politikens Frit-Flet Pris (Politiken newspaper's Free-Float Prize), 2017, for Der er ingen ende: altid en ny historie (There is no end: always a new story).

Images for kids

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  Louis Jensen holding the eleventh and final volume in his Square Stories series.

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  Celebration at Gyldendal Publishing house in Copenhagen, for the publication of Louis Jensen's eleventh and final volume in his Square Stories series.

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  Louis Jensen with Illustrator Lilian Brøgger.

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  Louis Jensen and Lilian Brøgger at the reception at Gyldendal Publishers, for the celebration of the 11th volume (and 1001 story) in Jensen's Square Stories series.