Hans Christian Andersen 150: Fairy Tale Marathon Part 12

To commemorate the 150th Anniversary of Hans Christian Andersen's death on August 4th, 2025, please join us in a Fairy Tale Marathon in which we will read all 157 of his canonical fairy tales in chronological order over the course of the next year or so.

Hans Christian Andersen (/ˈændərsən/ AN-dər-sən, Danish: [ˈhænˀs ˈkʰʁestjæn ˈɑnɐsn̩]; 2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his literary fairy tales.

Andersen's fairy tales, consisting of 156 stories across nine volumes, have been translated into more than 125 languages. They have become embedded in Western collective consciousness, accessible to children as well as presenting lessons of virtue and resilience in the face of adversity for mature readers. His most famous fairy tales include "The Emperor's New Clothes", "The Little Mermaid", "The Nightingale", "The Steadfast Tin Soldier", "The Red Shoes", "The Princess and the Pea", "The Snow Queen", "The Ugly Duckling", "The Little Match Girl", and "Thumbelina." Andersen's stories have inspired ballets, plays, and animated and live-action films.

For this Meetup please read The Happy Family, the Story of A Mother, the Shirt Collar, The Flax, and the Phoenix.

Online Text Link:
https://hcams.andersen.sdu.dk/exist/apps/andersen-irons/index.html