Hedda Anderson

Hedvig "Hedda" Elisabet Anderson (4 June 1832 – 2 April 1912) was a Swedish writer, teacher, and school founder. She wrote numerous books for children, and published collections of retold tales from different cultures. Her works were also used for instruction in schools.

Life and career Hedda Anderson was born on 4 June 1832 in Botilsäter, a parish in Värmland county. Self-taught and raised in pious circles, Anderson developed an early pedagogical interest which inspired her to become a teacher. At the age of 19, she started working as a private tutor to several families. Her works were primarily focused on the lives of people. P. A. Norstedt & Söner released Rolf's summer holidays, Anderson's first published children's book in 1891. Two more children's books, Rolf's new cousins and From Aunt Lotta's letter collection were published in 1892 and 1895. Several other books followed in the next few years, including Fairy Tale Evenings with Aunt Lotta – fairy tales arranged for group reading, City Girls in the Country, and Little Lisa and her foster brothers. She also served as the editor of the anthology of short stories, From the bookshelf – reading for home and school.

In the 1890s, Anderson published collections of retold folk tales from Greek and Nordic cultures, which were published in several editions across the country. She wrote books which were used for instruction in schools. Her textbook "Swedish language exercises" in 1895, was used for teaching Swedish in Finnish schools. She also translated the works of other writers, such as "The Godson of Death" by Leopold Budde, and "The Great Wide World" by Elisabeth Wetherall. In 1896, she was elected to the women's cultural association Nya Idun, and in 1899, she served as one of the founding members of the Private Higher Teachers' Seminary, Stockholm.

Anderson died in Stockholm, in 1912.