ASTRID LINDGREN

Photo courtesy of Mats Lindgren

Important Dates

1907

Astrid Anna Emilia Ericsson born November 14 in Näs, near Vimmerby, Småland; second child of Samuel August and Hanna Ericson (brother Gunnar born 1906; sisters Stina and Ingegerd born 1911 and 1916, respectively).

1914

Astrid begins attending school, and Näs receives electricity for the first time.

1923

Astrid finishes school.

1924

Starts work at the Wimmerby Tidningen, the Vimmerby newspaper.

1926

Moves to Stockholm for a secretary schooling; son Lars born December 4.

1931

Astrid Ericsson marries Sture Lindgren.

1934

Birth of daughter Karin, May 21.

1937

Starts working again.

1941

Lindgren family moves to apartment in Dalagatan in Stockholm, where Astrid Lindgren lives since.

1944

Writes her first story, Pippi Longstocking (Pippi Långstrump) as a birthday present for her daugther; second prize of Rabén & Sjöt;gren for her first Britt-Mari book.

1945

Pippi Longstocking wins first prize at Rabén & Sjögren's Best Children's Book Competition, age 6-10.

1946

Begins work as children's book editor at Rabén & Sjögren.

1947-1948

First time in England and the USA.

1949

Hamburg publisher Friedrich Oetlinger travels to Stockholm and meets Astrid Lindgren, acquires translation rights to Pippi Longstocking.

1950

Nils Holgersson Medal.

1952

Sture Lindgren dies.

1956

Deutscher Jugendbuchpreis, Sonderpreis (German Prize for Children's Books, Special Award) for Mio, My Son.

1957

The Swedish State Award for Writers of High Literary Standard - Astrid Lindgren is the first children's literature author to receive this award.

1958

Astrid Lindgren receives the Hans Christian Andersen Medal (International Children's Books aAward), for Rasmus and the Vagabond (for the same book, she also received the Boys' Club of America Junior Book Award.

1959

New York Herald Tribune Children's Spring Book Festival Award for Sia lives on Kilimanjaro.

1961

Her mother, Hanna Ericsson, dies.

1965

Swedish State Award for Literature.

1967

Rabén & Sjögren and Friedrich Oetinger establish the Astrid-Lindgren Award; Astrid Lindgren travels to the USSR.

1969

Astrid's father, Samuel August, dies.

1970

Retires as children's books editor from Rabén & Sjögren; receives the Golden Ship Award of the Swedish Society for the Promotion of Literature, the Heffaklumpen of the Swedish newspaper Expressen for Emil and Piggy Beast, and the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award for Christmas in the Stable.

1971

The Swedish Academy's Gold Medal.

1973

Honorary Ph.D. at the Linköping University in Sweden; Lewis Carroll Shelf Award for Pippi Longstocking.

1974

Smile Award for Russian adaptation of Karlsson-on-the-Roof.

1975

Litteris et artibus (plaque presented by the king of Sweden) and Silvergriffel for The Brothers Lionheart.

1978

Friedenspreis des Deutschen Buchhandels (German Booksellers' Peace Award) - Astrid Lindgren was the first children's literature author to receive this honor: she donates half the prize money to German children, the other half to Swedish children. Also received: Adelaide-Risto Award (Rome), International Writer's Prize, and an honorary doctor of letters, Leicester University, England.

1979

Wilhelm-Hauff-Prize and the International Janusz-Korczak Award for The Brothers Lionheart.

1984

Mildred L. Batchelder Award to Viking Press for Ronia, the Robber's Daughter; Dag Hammersklöld Award (Sweden); John Hansson Award (USA).

1985

With over 2 million yearly borrowals in the Swedish Public libraries, Astrid Lindgren is the most often read Swedish author. Received the Illis Quruom (Gold Medal awarded by the Swedish Government); Silver Bear Award for the movie Ronia, the Robber's Daughter; Loisirs jeune élu par l'enfant (French children's book award); Karen Blixen Award (from the Danish Academy); Jovanovic Zmaj Award (Yugoslavia).

1986

Astrid Lindgren's son Lars and Friedrich Oetinger die; the Swedish Council of America names her "Swede of the Year"; Selma Lagerlöf Award (Sweden) and the Lego Prize (Denmark). Astrid Lindgren founds "Solkatten" for disabled children.

1987

Leo Tolstoy International Gold Medal.

1989

Albert Schweitzer Medal; honorary doctor at the University of Warsaw.

1993

International Book Award (from the UNESCO International Book Committee).

1996

The first Astrid Lindgren statue is unveiled in Stockholm's Tenerlunden park (a bronze statue by Majalisa Alexanderson).