Famous Danish Writers

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 1 
Hans Christian Andersen
(Danish Author Best Remembered for His Literary Fairy Tales)
Hans Christian Andersen
6
Birthdate: April 2, 1805
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Odense, Denmark
Died: August 4, 1875
Legendary Danish children’s author Hans Christian Andersen is remembered for his fairy tales, such as The Little Mermaid, The Little Match Girl, The Emperor's New Clothes, and Thumbelina, which have been appreciated by the young the old alike. Many of his tales have been adapted into films, ballets, and plays. 
 2 
Soren Kierkegaard
(Religious Author Who is Considered to be the First 'Existentialist' Philosopher)
Soren Kierkegaard
4
Birthdate: May 5, 1813
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Copenhagen, Denmark
Died: November 11, 1855

Soren Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher, theologian, social critic, poet, and religious author. Widely regarded as the first existentialist philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard is sometimes referred to as the Father of Existentialism. He is also credited with influencing many theologians, philosophers, and writers like Paul Feyerabend, Ludwig Wittgenstein, and Jorge Luis Borges.

 3 
Sandi Toksvig
(Danish-British Author Best Known for Hosting 'The News Quiz' on 'BBC Radio 4')
Sandi Toksvig
5
Birthdate: May 3, 1958
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Copenhagen, Denmark
Sandi Toksvig is best known as the host of shows such as News Quiz, QI, and The Great British Bake Off. The Women's Equality Party co-founder is also a lesbian icon and has written several children’s and adult books and plays. She hosted a motivational podcast during the COVID-19 lockdown. 
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 4 
Karen Blixen
(Danish Writer Best Known for Her Works: 'Out of Africa' and 'Seven Gothic Tales')
Karen Blixen
4
Birthdate: April 17, 1885
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Rungsted, Denmark
Died: September 7, 1962

Danish author Karen Blixen is best known for her memoir Out of Africa, in which she shared her experiences of living in Kenya for a few years. She was popular across Europe and wrote under several pen names. She was awarded the Danish Holberg Medal in 1949. She was shortlisted several times for the Nobel Prize in Literature. 

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 5 
Bjarne Stroustrup
(Computer scientist, Engineer, Scientist, Programmer, Writer, University teacher)
Bjarne Stroustrup
4
Birthdate: December 30, 1950
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Aarhus

Bjarne Stroustrup is a Danish computer scientist best known for his invention and development of the popular C++ general-purpose programming language. He is currently working as a managing director at Morgan Stanley in New York, apart from serving as a visiting professor at the prestigious Columbia University. 

 6 
Ejner Johansson
(Art Historian)
Ejner Johansson
3
Birthdate: March 7, 1922
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Copenhagen, Denmark
Died: September 28, 2001

Ejner Johansson was a Danish art historian, writer, magister of art, and documentary film director. He is best remembered for winning the N. L. Høyen Medal in 1998 for his contribution to arts. Ejner Johansson was also a recipient of LO's Culture Prize, which he received in 1984.

 7 
Jussi Adler-Olsen
(Danish Crime Writer and New York Times Bestselling Author)
Jussi Adler-Olsen
3
Birthdate: August 2, 1950
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Copenhagen, Denmark

Jussi Adler-Olsen is a Danish writer, editor, publisher, and entrepreneur. Apart from being a popular figure in Denmark, Adler-Olsen has also enjoyed success in countries like the Netherlands, Germany, and Norway. His novels have been sold in over 40 languages and some of his works have been adapted into successful films.  

 8 
Torben Ulrich
(Danish Writer, Musician and Former Professional Tennis Player)
Torben Ulrich
3
Birthdate: October 4, 1928
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Frederiksberg, Denmark

Torben Ulrich is a Danish former professional tennis player turned writer, musician, and filmmaker. As a tennis player, he was the top-ranked senior player in the world in the mid-1970s. He became a writer after retirement and primarily wrote on music, film, athletics, and culture. He eventually founded a New Orleans-type jazz band and made films as well. 

 9 
Bjorn Lomborg
(Danish Author)
Bjorn Lomborg
3
Birthdate: January 6, 1965
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Frederiksberg, Denmark

Bjorn Lomborg is a Danish author who achieved international recognition for his controversial and best-selling book The Skeptical Environmentalist which was published in 2001. The former director of the Environmental Assessment Institute in Copenhagen, Bjorn Lomborg founded the Copenhagen Consensus in 2002. He is currently serving as the president of the non-profit think tank.

 10 
Ejnar Mikkelsen
(Explorer)
Ejnar Mikkelsen
1
Birthdate: December 23, 1880
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Vester-Brønderslev, Denmark
Died: May 1, 1971
 11 
Saxo Grammaticus
(historian, writer)
Saxo Grammaticus
3
Birthdate: 1150 AD
Died: 1220 AD

Saxo Grammaticus was a Danish theologian, historian, and author. He is credited with authoring the first full history of Denmark, Gesta Danorum. The book houses the legend of Amleth, which inspired William Shakespeare's famous story, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. 

 12 
Sven Hassel
(Danish Novelist Known Primarily for His Novels Focusing on Stories of German Combatants During World War II)
Sven Hassel
3
Birthdate: April 19, 1917
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Frederiksborg County, Denmark
Died: September 21, 2012

Sven Hassel was a Danish writer best remembered for his novels that focus on the stories that revolve around the German combatants during the Second World War. A popular literary figure, Sven Hassel is often counted among the bestselling Danish authors of all time.

 13 
Tove Ditlevsen
(Poet)
Tove Ditlevsen
2
Birthdate: December 14, 1917
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Copenhagen, Denmark
Died: March 7, 1976
 14 
Adam Price
(Screenwriter)
Adam Price
2
Birthdate: May 7, 1967
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Copenhagen, Denmark
 15 
Jakob Nielsen
(computer scientist, writer)
Jakob Nielsen
2
Birthdate: October 5, 1957
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Copenhagen
 16 
Michael Soussan
(Reporter)
Michael Soussan
3
Birthdate: 1973 AD
Birthplace: Denmark
 17 
Henrik Pontoppidan
(Johann Adolph Hasse)
Henrik Pontoppidan
2
Birthdate: July 24, 1857
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Fredericia, Denmark
Died: August 21, 1943
 18 
Camilla Dallerup
(Danish Author, Life Coach, Hypnotherapist and Former Ballroom Dancer)
Camilla Dallerup
3
Birthdate: April 6, 1974
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Aalborg, Denmark

Camilla Dallerup is a Danish ballroom dancer, author, hypnotherapist, and life coach. She is best known for winning the popular British television dance show,Strictly Come Dancing, in 2008. A meditation teacher and hypnotherapist, Camilla Dallerup has established her own coaching center called Zenme. She has also authored a couple of self-help books.

 19 
N. F. S. Grundtvig
(Danish Bishop and Founder of 'Grundtvigianism', a Theological Movement That Revitalized the Danish Lutheran Church)
N. F. S. Grundtvig
2
Birthdate: September 8, 1783
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Vordingborg Municipality, Denmark
Died: September 2, 1872

N. F. S. Grundtvig was a Danish author, pastor, poet, historian, teacher, philosopher, and politician. By the end of the 19th century, Grundtvig's philosophy had given rise to a new sense of nationalism, for which he is often counted among the most influential Danish people of all time. He is also remembered for promoting values like compassion, wisdom, and equality.

 20 
Ludvig Holberg
(Playwright and an Author)
Ludvig Holberg
2
Birthdate: December 3, 1684
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Bergen, Norway
Died: January 28, 1754

One of the forefathers of Norwegian and Danish literature, Ludvig Holberg was a legendary literary figure of the Dano-Norwegian dual monarchy era. Initially a French tutor, he later studied music, before devoting himself to writing. His comedies earned him the nickname of The Molière of the North.

 21 
Piet Hein
(Polymath)
Piet Hein
2
Birthdate: December 16, 1905
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Copenhagen, Denmark
Died: April 17, 1996

Piet Hein was a Danish polymath. He was an expert in mathematics and was also an inventor, designer, and writer. He studied at the University of Copenhagen and Technical University of Denmark. He joined the Danish resistance movement when the Germans invaded Denmark. In his later years, he invented the Soma cube and devised the games of Hex and Tower.   

 22 
Regine Olsen
(Writer)
Regine Olsen
2
Birthdate: January 23, 1822
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Copenhagen, Denmark
Died: March 18, 1904
 23 
Peter Høeg
(Writer)
Peter Høeg
2
Birthdate: May 17, 1957
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Copenhagen, Denmark
 24 
Gøsta Esping-Andersen
(Danish Sociologist and Political Scientist)
Gøsta Esping-Andersen
2
Birthdate: November 24, 1947
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Næstved, Denmark
 25 
Asger Jorn
(Danish Painter, Sculptor, Ceramic Artist and Author)
Asger Jorn
2
Birthdate: March 3, 1914
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Jutland, Denmark
Died: May 1, 1973

Asger Jorn was a Danish painter, sculptor, and ceramic artist. The son of two teachers, he was also expected to become one. He enrolled in the Vinthers Seminarium, a teacher-training college, due to family pressure and later chose to become a painter. He produced over 2,500 paintings, drawings, prints, ceramics, and sculptures in his artistic career.  

 26 
Yahya Hassan
(Poet)
Yahya Hassan
2
Birthdate: May 19, 1995
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Aarhus, Denmark
Died: April 29, 2020
 27 
Poul Henningsen
(Author)
Poul Henningsen
2
Birthdate: September 9, 1894
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Ordrup, Denmark
Died: January 31, 1967
 28 
Jorgen Leth
(Poet)
Jorgen Leth
2
Birthdate: June 14, 1937
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Aarhus, Denmark
 29 
Jens Peter Jacobsen
(Danish Novelist, Poet, and Scientist)
Jens Peter Jacobsen
2
Birthdate: April 7, 1847
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Thisted, Denmark
Died: April 30, 1885

Danish author Jens Peter Jacobsen is remembered for pioneering the Naturalist mode of writing in Danish literature. While he initially translated some of Charles Darwin’s works, he later penned novels such as Marie Grubbe: A Lady of the Seventeenth Century. He is also known for his poems, which were released posthumously.

 30 
Paul Elvstrom
(Sailor, Businessperson)
Paul Elvstrom
2
Birthdate: February 25, 1928
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Hellerup, Denmark
Died: December 7, 2016
 31 
Else Holmelund Minarik
(Author)
Else Holmelund Minarik
2
Birthdate: September 13, 1920
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Fredericia, Denmark
Died: July 12, 2012
 32 
Aksel Sandemose
(Danish-Norwegian Novelist)
Aksel Sandemose
2
Birthdate: March 19, 1899
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Nykøbing Falster, Denmark
Died: August 6, 1965

Born to working-class parents in Denmark, author Aksel Sandemose moved to Norway at 17 and then worked as a lumberjack in Newfoundland. He later taught and also became part of the Norwegian resistance movement. Known for his iconic novel A Fugitive Crosses His Tracks, he also devised the fictional Jante’s Law.

 33 
Adam Oehlenschläger
(Poet)
Adam Oehlenschläger
2
Birthdate: November 14, 1779
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Copenhagen, Denmark
Died: January 20, 1850
 34 
Johannes V. Jensen
(Author)
Johannes V. Jensen
2
Birthdate: January 20, 1873
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Farsø, Denmark
Died: November 25, 1950
 35 
Widad Akrawi
(human rights activist)
Widad Akrawi
2
Birthdate: 1969 AD
Birthplace: Aqrah
 36 
Karl Adolph Gjellerup
(Former Poet, novelist who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1917)
Karl Adolph Gjellerup
2
Birthdate: June 2, 1857
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Roholte, Denmark
Died: October 11, 1919
 37 
Fredrik Bajer
(Writer and pacifist politician who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1908 together with Klas Pontus Arnoldson)
Fredrik Bajer
1
Birthdate: April 21, 1837
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Næstved, Denmark
Died: January 22, 1922
 38 
Herman Bang
(Journalist)
Herman Bang
1
Birthdate: April 20, 1857
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Als, Denmark
Died: January 29, 1912
 39 
Martin Andersen Nexø
(Danish author)
Martin Andersen Nexø
1
Birthdate: June 26, 1869
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Copenhagen, Denmark
Died: June 1, 1954
 40 
Janne Teller
(Writer)
Janne Teller
0
Birthdate: April 8, 1964
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Copenhagen, Denmark

Janne Teller is a Danish writer of Austrian–German descent. Professionally qualified as a macroeconomist, she previously used to work for the United Nations and the European Union. She eventually quit her economics career to pursue a full-time writing career. She is credited with having revolutionized the young adult novel genre with her works. She is the recipient of numerous awards.  

 41 
Inger Christensen
(Poet)
Inger Christensen
1
Birthdate: January 16, 1935
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Vejle, Denmark
Died: January 2, 2009
 42 
Sara Omar
(Author, first internationally recognized female novelist from Kurdistan)
Sara Omar
0
Birthdate: August 21, 1986
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Sulaymaniyah, Iraq
 43 
Laura Kieler
(Novelist)
Laura Kieler
0
Birthdate: January 9, 1849
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Tromsø, Norway
Died: April 23, 1932
 44 
Jeppe Aakjær
(Former Poet, novelist known for writings that reflected his concern for the impoverished and for describing rural existence)
Jeppe Aakjær
1
Birthdate: September 10, 1866
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Denmark
Died: April 22, 1930
 45 
Henrik Stangerup
(Author)
Henrik Stangerup
1
Birthdate: September 1, 1937
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Copenhagen, Denmark
Died: July 4, 1998
 46 
Holger Drachmann
(Danish Poet and Dramatist Famous for His Lyrical Poetry)
Holger Drachmann
1
Birthdate: October 9, 1846
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Copenhagen, Denmark
Died: January 14, 1908

Holger Drachmann was a Danish poet, dramatist, and painter. Artistically inclined from a young age, he chose to pursue painting professionally. He also composed poems and staged semi-poetic performances. He focused on writing for many years before returning to art, often painting pictures of ships and the sea.  His relationship with multiple women made him a controversial figure. 

 47 
Steen Steensen Blicher
(Author)
Steen Steensen Blicher
1
Birthdate: October 11, 1782
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Vium, Denmark
Died: March 26, 1848
 48 
Klaus Rifbjerg
(Writer)
Klaus Rifbjerg
1
Birthdate: December 15, 1931
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Copenhagen, Denmark
Died: April 4, 2015
 49 
Bernhard Severin Ingemann
(Novelist)
Bernhard Severin Ingemann
1
Birthdate: March 28, 1789
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Falster, Denmark
Died: February 24, 1862
 50 
Pia Juul
(Poet)
Pia Juul
1
Birthdate: May 30, 1962
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Korsør, Zealand, Denmark
Died: September 30, 2020