Astrid Lindgren Biography

Astrid Lindgren is best known as the swedish Author who wrote the adventures of Pippi Longstocking. Pippi is the strongest girl in the world and the books about her became world famous. Astrid Lindgren wrote many other books though and in this lens I will have a look at a bunch of Astrid Lindgren books and also check out who the beloved childrens book author was. In short this article is a biography on Astrid Lindgren.

As said she was the one who wrote Pippi Longstocking and the books about Pippi was what really started her carreer as a writer of swedish children books. Today the Poppi Longstocking books has been translated into 64 different languages and Astrid Lindgren is known and celebrated all over the world as one of the most influential childrens book author in history.

Allow me to introduce you to Astrid Anna Emilia Ericsson better known as Astrid Lindgren.

Photo Courtesy of Ceyla de Wilka

Wikimedia Commmons

Astrid Lindgren was born November 14th 1907 in Vimmerby, a small town in the southern part of Sweden. Vimmerby is located in the region of Sweden called Smaland and as of june 2011 it has a population of 15408. The town was much smaller when Astrid Lindgren was a child though.

It was the place where farmers from the nearby area would meet up to sell their wares and exchange news and even at that time time it must have been a very idyllic place as Astrid Lindgren drew much of her inspiration from Vimmerby. (this is apparent both in the books about Pippi Longstocking, but also in Emil from Loenneberg, the Children in Noisy Village and many others of her writings.).

Astrid Lindgren had 3 siblings and her parents Samuel and Hanna August gave all 4 of the children a great childhood where they had space to play and use their imagination even if they had to help work on the family farm.

Most of Astrid Lindgrens books is drawing on inspiration from things she experienced in her childhood. If you look at the picture below which is taken in the forest of Smaland, you will not be surprised when you read the describtions of the woods in Ronia the Robbers Daughter.

© Mistel

You can also secure a piece of history for yourself, by getting Astrid Lindgrens autograph.

When Astrid Lindgren was 18 she became pregnant with her first child Lasse, but she was not ready to settle down and get married, so instead she went to Stockholm and started working for the book publishers Rabén & Sjögren as a typist. Rabén & Sjögren would be the ones to publish all of her books and she stayed with them working as a children books editor until she retired at the age of 70.

While working in Stockholm she also met Sture Lindgren whom she married and got her second child Karin with.

In 1944 at the age of 37 Astrid Lindgren had her first novel published. It was called Britt-Marie lättar sitt hjärta (Britt-Marie unburdens her heart), but it wasn't until the year after when she published the first Pippi Longstocking book, that her carreer took off for real. The adventures of Pippi Longstocking became popular all over the world and cemented Astrid Lindgrens status as one of the greatest children book authors ever.

Alla vi barn i Bullerbyn (The Children of Noisy Village) was published in 1947 and in 1954 Mio, min Mio (Mio my son) saw the light of day.

The first Emil i Lönneberga (Emil of Lönneberga) was published in 1963 and the last book Astrid Lindgren published was Ronja Rövardotter (Ronia the Robber's Daughter) in 1981. (which was the year before I was born).

Astrid Lindgren wrote a bunch of songs and plays as well and many of ther books has been converted to movies.

In 2002 Astrid Lindgren passed away at the age of 94. She had an enormous influence on childrens Litterature and she will be sorely missed. Her legacy will carry on though and her fans will forever remember her as someone who put magic into their childhood.

If you are from the EU use this link instead

As a child, did you ever want to go play with Pippi Longstocking? Or explore the forest with Ronia Robber's daugther?

In Sweden you can. If you ever go to Smaland in Sweden, make sure you swing by Vimmerby and more importantly pay a visit to Astrid Lindgren's World. A theme park where you can get to experience mane of the areas in Astrid Lindgren's Universe. You can visit Troublemaker street or Noisy Village. Or you can check out Pippi Longstockings house Villekulla Cottage.

Children will have the chance to meet their most beloved of Astrid Lindgren's characters and get the feeling of being part of the books themselves.

Have a look at the park yourself. Maybe you will be inspired to take a trip to Sweden! :)