Astrid Lindgren
Astrid Lindgren was a renowned Swedish author and storyteller, best known for her beloved children's books, including the iconic character Pippi Longstocking. Born into a farming family in Vimmerby, Sweden, Lindgren's childhood was marked by a strong encouragement of imagination and storytelling. She began her writing career in her teenage years and later faced significant personal challenges, including an early pregnancy that led her to move to Stockholm. After working various jobs, she dedicated herself to children's literature, inspired by the stories she told her own children.
Lindgren's first major success came with the publication of "Pippi Longstocking" in 1945, which sparked both admiration and controversy for its portrayal of a free-spirited and independent young girl. Throughout her life, Lindgren was not only a prolific writer but also an advocate for social issues, including animal rights and fair treatment of children. Her influence extended beyond literature, inspiring numerous adaptations in film and television, as well as the creation of a theme park celebrating her characters. Lindgren remains an enduring figure in children's literature, recognized for her contributions and her passionate defense of children's rights and welfare.
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Astrid Lindgren
Author
- Born: November 14, 1907
- Birthplace: Vimmerby, Sweden
- Died: January 8, 2002
- Place of death: Stockholm, Sweden
Biography
Astrid Lindgren, the daughter of tenant farmer Samuel August and Hanna Jonsson Ericsson, spent her childhood on her parents’ farm with her siblings Gunnar, Stina, and Ingegerd. The parents encouraged exploration of imagination, and storytelling was a common family activity. As a teenager, Lindgren worked at the Wimmerby Tidning, and her first publication appeared in that newspaper in 1921. At age eighteen, Lindgren became pregnant and left her stunned family for Stockholm, where she began studies for office work. Her son Lars was born in Copenhagen and given to foster care; later, the Ericssons took their grandson back to Vimmerby to live with them.
Astrid took up an office job at the Royal Automobile Club in Stockholm, where Sture Lindgren was the office manager. The two wed in 1931. She worked for the Swedish intelligence service before becoming a children’s book editor at Rabén & Sjogren in 1946, a position she held until 1970.
When Lindgren was thirty-seven years old, she began to record the stories she had been telling to her children over the years. Her daughter Karin came up with Pippi’s name, and she penned the first book featuring Pippi—in full, Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Efraim’s Daughter Longstocking—as a birthday gift for her ten-year-old daughter. Rabén & Sjogren published Pippi Långstrump, or Pippi Longstocking, in 1945. After the publication of this book—and after the company awarded Lindgren their Best Children’s Book prize—Lindgren joined their staff as an editor.
Pippi Långstrump går ombord (Pippi Goes on Board) and Pippi Långstrump i Söderhavet (Pippi in the South Seas) soon followed. However, the quirky, independent, intelligent, and headstrong character worried some critics who were concerned about potential messages of children not subject to rules or parenting. Lindgren, in response, voiced her unwavering opinion that children should be treated fairly and without oppression.
In addition to her other various children’s publications, Lindgren contributed writings for adults. She began supporting the Social Democrats in the 1940’s, opposed the Vietnam conflict in the 1960’s, and in the 1970’s openly criticized the Swedish government. She published a fairy tale directed at adults, “Pomperipossa i Monismanien” (Pomperipossa in the world of money), in a newspaper in 1976, condemning ludicrous taxation policies. She also actively fought for decent living conditions for farm animals, helping to secure the passage of a law protecting them in 1988, one year after the publication of her memoirs. She was voted most popular Swede in 1999.
Lindgren’s books have been the basis for numerous television programs and films, and they even inspired a theme park—Astrid Lindgren’s World, where more than sixty characters from Lindgren’s books come to life.