Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales

Discover why HCA’s tales have such universal appeal for both children and adults

This course will introduce you to some of Hans Christian Andersen’s most popular fairy tales, as well as a few less well-known ones. It will help you analyse the themes in these fairy tales, and give you an opportunity to discuss how these works were viewed in the author’s own times as well as their cross-cultural importance today, as the inspiration for many popular books and movies. Each week, experts from the internationally renowned HC Andersen Center will guide discussions, analyses and interpretations of one or more of the author’s fairy tales.

You will need a basic ability to read and understand Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales in English. Otherwise, a curiosity about and a love for the fairy tale genre is the sole prerequisite for the course.

New English translations of the fairy tales will be used. You can download them from this website.