UHans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) wayengumlobi waseDenmark, idume ngeentsomi zakhe. 'Idada elibi' kunye 'neNcinci Mermaid' ziphakathi kwemisebenzi yakhe edumileyo.
Wakhuliswa kwintlupheko (usapho lwakhe ngamanye amaxesha lwalunyanzelwa ukuba lucele), uAndersen wafudukela eCopenhagen eOdense eneminyaka eli-14 Apho wazama ukuba yimvumi yeopera, kodwa akaphumelela. Nangona kunjalo, wakwazi ukwenza ubuhlobo nomlawuli weTeatro Real, owayeya kuba ngumhlobo wakhe ubomi.
'Uhambo ngeenyawo ukusuka kumsele waseHolmen ukuya kwincam esempuma ye-Amager' Yapapashwa ngo-1829, kwiminyaka emibini emva kokushiya isikolo i-Elsinor, apho yayicelwe ngu-King Frederick VI. Apho, njengoko waqondayo kamva, waphila eyona minyaka imnyama nembi kubomi bakhe
Le ntsomi yamzuzela u-Andersen ingqalelo yakhe yokuqala kunye nokuqhubeka nokuhamba ngeendleko ezihlawulelweyo (uKing Frederick VI waba ngumphathi wakhe) ukubhala imisebenzi emitsha, ukusukela wayengumhambi okhutheleyo Uthathe imixholo emininzi kwimibhalo yakhe kwiindawo awayezindwendwela.
Iinoveli ezinomdla zazithathwa njengoyena mntu ubambeleyo kangangexesha elithile, de wayifumana indlela eya kuthi ibonakalise ubukrelekrele bakhe: iintsomi, nangona eyona nto wayeyifuna yayikukubonwa njengombhali wenoveli kunye nomdlali odlalayo. Uvelise malunga nomthamo omnye wamabali abantwana ngonyaka, awayebonakaliswa ngokuchazwa ngelizwi lakhe. Ekugqibeleni, kuya kuba njalo yamkelwe njengoyena mbhali ubalaseleyo waseDenmark kunye nomnye wee-greats zoncwadi lwaseYurophu ngemvo yakhe yefantasy, iinkcazo zakhe ezinamandla, kunye nokuziva kwakhe.