Benny Andersen
Benny Andersen was a Danish poet, author, songwriter, composer and pianist. He is often remembered for his collaboration with the singer Povl Dissing; together they released an album with Andersen's poems from the collection Svantes viser. This album and Andersen's book "Svantes viser" from 1972 were included by the Danish Ministry of Culture in the Danish Culture Canon in 2006, in the category "Popular music". Andersen's "Samlede digte" have sold more than 100,000 copies in Denmark.
In Denmark, Benny Andersen was also a well-known author of children's literature and in 1971, he was awarded the Ministry of Culture's children book prize ("Kulturministeriets Børnebogspris"). In the 1980s, his books about the fantastical creature Snøvsen, became widely popular and later inspired two films in the early 90s.
Andersen became a member of the Danish Academy in 1972.
His wife, the jurist Elisabeth Ehmer, reported that Benny Andersen died in the family home in Sorgenfri, north of Copenhagen, on 16 August 2018.
Selected bibliography
Some of Benny Andersen's notable poem collections, includes:Den musikalske ål, 1960Kamera med køkkenadgang, 1962Nikke Nikke Nambo og andre danske børnerim og remser, 1963Den indre bowlerhat, 1964Portrætgalleri, 1966Det sidste øh og andre digte, 1969Her i reservatet, 1971Svantes viser, Borgen, 1972Personlige papirer, 1974Under begge øjne, 1978Himmelspræt , 1979Tiden og storken, 1985H.C. Andersens land, 1985Chagall og skorpiondans, 1991Denne kommen og gåen, 1993Mit liv som indvandrer, 1993Verdensborger i Danmark, 1995Verden udenfor syltetøjsglasset, 1996Sjælen marineret, 2001Svantes lykkelige dag, 2003Spredte digte, 2005Den Vilde Ungdom, 2005Kram, 2009Den nøgne mand, 2010A few of his short stories:Bukserne, 1963Et lykkeligt menneske, 1968Samlede noveller, 2003