Maria Gripe
Maria Gripe was a significant Swedish author born on July 23, 1923, in Vaxholm, Sweden. She was influenced by her father's stern demeanor but shared a love for literature, which was cultivated through their discussions about books and her early writing endeavors. After marrying artist Harald Gripe in 1946 and raising a daughter, she began to write her own stories, motivated by the high cost of books. Gripe’s narratives often focused on young protagonists wrestling with emotional challenges and their identities, frequently set against the backdrop of unappreciative familial relationships. Her work is recognized for its psychological depth and lyrical language, earning her comparisons to Hans Christian Andersen. Over her career, Gripe received numerous prestigious awards, including the Nils Holgersson Plaque and the Hans Christian Andersen International Children's Book Award. Her books, translated into around twenty languages, not only appealed to children but also resonated with adult readers, significantly enhancing the literary quality of children's literature in Sweden during the 1960s and 1970s. Gripe’s storytelling remains influential, with many of her works adapted into various media, solidifying her legacy as one of Sweden's most esteemed children's authors.
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Maria Gripe
Fiction Writer
- Born: July 25, 1923
- Birthplace: Vaxholm, Sweden
- Died: April 5, 2007
Biography
Maria Kristina Walter Gripe was born on July 23, 1923, at Vaxholm, Sweden, to army officer Karl Hugo Walter and Maria Walter. Although her father was stern, Gripe enjoyed discussing books and exploring the outdoors with him. She read Hans Christian Andersen’s stories and penned her own creations. Aspiring to become an author, she told her father her ambition after he found her writing notebook. He replied that only Hans Christian Andersen merited the distinction of being considered an author. Criticizing her writing, he advised her to study the craft of writing and enhance her usage of the Swedish language.
Gripe attended local schools, successfully completing a high-school baccalaureate by 1943. She then took religious history and philosophy courses at Stockholm University. In 1946, she married artist Harald Gripe. They had one daughter. Her husband died in 1992.
Gripe began writing her own books after her daughter was born because buying books was too costly. Gripe’s plots often featured protagonists confronting emotional challenges and developing their identity when faced with stressful situations and conflicts with parents. Frequently fragile and extraordinarily creative and intuitive, her characters withstood apathetic or unappreciative family members, especially adults. Her husband created illustrations for some of Gripe’s books.
Gripe adapted several of her novels—particularly stories featuring her characters Elvis Karlsson, Agnes Cecilia, Hugo, and Josefin—for film and radio presentations. She created original dramas for both television and radio, which were aired serially. She developed her novel Tanten from a radio drama that she had previously written.
Considered the most outstanding children’s writer in Sweden during the 1960’s and 1970’s, Gripe excelled in creating books appealing to both young and adult readers. Scholars stated that her writing enhanced the literary qualities of children’s literature in Sweden. Critics noted Gripe’s adept use of psychological themes and insightful depictions of children interacting with adults. They compared Gripe to Hans Christian Andersen for her effective use of language and images to portray complex ideas.
The Association of Swedish Libraries designated Gripe’s book Hugo and Josephine the single outstanding children’s work of 1963 and presented that book its Nils Holgersson Plaque, the most significant prize for Swedish children’s literature. In 1966, Hugo and Josephine received the Heffaklumpen Award from the Swedish newspaper Expressen. Her book Pappa Pellerin’s Daughter won the 1967 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award and was named an honor book at the Book Week Children’s Spring Festival.
Gripe received numerous Scandinavian awards and stipends for her writing, including the Astrid Lingren Prize in 1972, the Hjalmar Bergman Prize in 1977, the Doblougska Prize in 1979, the Metalls Kulturpris in 1981, and the Jeremias i Troestloesa Prize in 1983. The International Board of Books for Young People honored Gripe with its Hans Christian Andersen International Children’s Book Award in 1974. Publishers issued translations of Gripe’s books in approximately twenty languages. European college students wrote theses and dissertations examining Gripe’s work.