Who was Karen Blixen? Everything You Need to Know

Karen Blixen was born on April 17, 1885, to a wealthy mother, Ingeborg Westenholz, and a writer and army officer father, Wilhelm Dinesen, in the Rungstedlund manor, Denmark. She had two sisters and two brothers.

In 1895, when she was nine, her father committed suicide after learning that he had fathered a child out of wedlock.

In 1902, she went to Copenhagen’s Charlotte Sode’s Art School. Around 1905, she began to publish fiction in Danish periodicals under the pen name ‘Osceola’.

In 1906, she completed her studies at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. Thereafter, she spent time in Sweden, with her cousin’s family, the Blixen-Fineckes, where she met her future husband.

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Career

In 1912, on the suggestion of their uncle, Aage Westenholz, Karen Blixen and her fiancé, Bror, decided to go to Africa to start a coffee farm.

In 1913, she left for Kenya after Bror. In 1914, they established their first farm in M’Bagathi, Kenya and ‘The Karen Coffee Company’ was established by their uncle, Westenholz. The First World War broke out soon and the farm suffered many tragedies.

In 1916, they purchased M’Bogani, a larger farm in Ngong Hills, even though it was unsuitable for coffee cultivation due to its high elevation. She hired the local ‘Kikuyu’ tribe to work on the farm since Bror often went away on safaris leaving her to manage the farm.

Between 1917 and 1918, her farm suffered more tragedies. In despair, she began to write a book in English, thinking that it would be more profitable.

In 1921, their uncle handed over the management of the farm to her after dismissing Bror from that position. By 1931, her coffee farm had suffered heavy financial losses. So, she returned to Denmark and began her writing career.

From 1933 to 1958, she published several successful books and achieved worldwide fame.

In 1960, despite severe illness after her return to Denmark, she wrote her last book based on her experiences in Africa.

Major Works

In 1934, her first book ‘Seven Gothic Tales’ was published under the pseudonym ‘Isak Dinesen’. It achieved instant fame when it was featured on ‘Book-of-the-month Club’.

In 1937, he second and most famous book ‘Out of Africa’ was published, firmly establishing her name in the literary world.

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In 1944, she published her fourth book ‘The Angelic Avengers’ under the ‘Pierre Andrezel’ pseudonym. It was selected for the ‘Book-of-the-Month Club’ too.

In 1958, she wrote another story collection ‘Anecdotes of Destiny’ that also contained the famous story, ‘Babette’s Feast’.

In 1960, her book ‘Shadows on the Grass’ was published and selected for the ‘Book-of-the-Month Club’ again.

From 1962 to 81, several of her posthumous works like ‘Ehrengard’, ‘Letters from Africa’, etc. were published.

Awards & Achievements

In 1939, she received the women in arts prize, ‘Tagea Brandt Rejselegat'.

From 1949 to 1959, she received many honours like ‘Danish Holberg Medal’, ‘Ingenio et Arti’ medal, ‘Henrik Pontoppidan Memorial Foundation Grant’, etc.

In 1985, her book ‘Out of Africa’ was adapted into an ‘Academy Award’ winning movie of the same name. The ‘Asteroid 3318 Blixen’ was also named in her honour that year.

In 1987, one of her stories, ‘Babette’s Feast’, was adapted into another Academy Award winning movie.

In 1980 and 1996, Danish postage stamps were issued in her honour.

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In 1991, her Rungstedlund home was opened as ‘The Karen Blixen Museum’.

In 1997, the Danish 50-krone banknote featuring her portrait was released.

In 1986, the original farmhouse where she lived in Kenya was opened as ‘Karen Blixen Museum’.

Family & Personal Life

In 1912, when his twin brother, Hans, rejected her advances, Karen got engaged to Baron Bror Blixen-Finecke.

In 1914, Karen Blixen married Bror in Mombasa, Kenya, and came to be known as Baroness Blixen.

In 1915, she was diagnosed with syphilis which she had contracted from her philandering husband, and had to go to Denmark for specialist treatment.

By 1919, her marriage seemed to have run its course and she fell in love with English army officer, hunter and safari operator, Denys Finch Hatton.

Between 1920 and 25, Bror requested a divorce from her; they separated and finally divorced.

From 1926 to 31, she embarked on a long love affair with Hatton, but it ended with his sudden death in a plane crash in 1931.

She left Africa with anaemia, jaundice, arsenic poisoning, panic attacks, etc.

From 1946-56, she underwent a lumbar sympathectomy and a surgery for stomach ulcer.

On September 7, 1962, Karen Blixen died of malnutrition at Rungstedlund, Denmark.

Trivia

Karen Blixen was twice considered for the ‘Nobel Prize in Literature’. She was also a talented artist; her most well-known artworks being ‘Young Kikuyu Girl’ and ‘Abdullahi Ahamed’.

Karen Blixen Biography