Benny Andersen

Benny Andersen (7 November 1929 – 16 August 2018) 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" (Svante's Songs) 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" (Collected poems) 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 (Det Danske Akademi) 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, 1960 Kamera med køkkenadgang, 1962 Nikke Nikke Nambo og andre danske børnerim og remser, 1963 Den indre bowlerhat, 1964 Portrætgalleri, 1966 Det sidste øh og andre digte, 1969 Her i reservatet, 1971 Svantes viser, Borgen, 1972 Personlige papirer, 1974 Under begge øjne, 1978 Himmelspræt (eller kunsten at komme til verden), 1979 Tiden og storken, 1985 H.C. Andersens land, 1985 Chagall og skorpiondans, 1991 Denne kommen og gåen, 1993 Mit liv som indvandrer, 1993 Verdensborger i Danmark, 1995 Verden udenfor syltetøjsglasset, 1996 Sjælen marineret, 2001 Svantes lykkelige dag, 2003 Spredte digte, 2005 Den Vilde Ungdom, 2005 Kram, 2009 Den nøgne mand, 2010

A few of his short stories: Bukserne, 1963 Et lykkeligt menneske, 1968 Samlede noveller, 2003