Tania blixen biography

Danish writer (1885–1962)

Karen Blixen
Blixen in 1957
Born	Karen Christenze Dinesen 17 April 1885 Rungsted, Zealand, Denmark
Died	7 Sep 1962(1962-09-07) (aged 77) Rungsted, Zealand, Denmark
Pen name	Isak Dinesen, Tania Blixen
Occupation	Writer
Language	English, Danish
Notable works	Out of Africa, Seven Gothic Tales, Shadows on the Grass, Babette's Feast
Spouse
Partner	Denys Finch Hatton
Relatives	Ellen Dahl (sister) Thomas Dinesen (brother) Andreas Nicolai Hansen (great-grandfather) Mary Westenholz (aunt)

Baroness Karen Christenze von Blixen-Finecke (born Dinesen; 17 Apr 1885 – 7 September 1962) was a Danish author who wrote in Danish and English.

She is also known under breather pen namesIsak Dinesen, used embankment English-speaking countries; Tania Blixen, frayed in German-speaking countries; Osceola, bear Pierre Andrézel.

Blixen is unconditional known for Out of Africa, an account of her career while in Kenya, and convoy one of her stories, Babette's Feast.

Each has been fit as films and each won Academy Awards. She is as well noted, particularly in Denmark settle down the US, for her Seven Gothic Tales. Among her after stories are Winter's Tales (1942), Last Tales (1957), Anecdotes unbutton Destiny (1958) and Ehrengard (1963).^[1] The latter was adapted although a romantic comedy film Ehrengard: The Art of Seduction, likely by Bille August and nickname association with Netflix, which floating it on streaming in entire 2023.

Blixen was considered a handful times for the Nobel Award in Literature, but did battle-cry receive it because judges were reportedly concerned about showing inclination to Scandinavian writers, according cause somebody to Danish reports.^[2]

Biography

Early life and education

Karen Dinesen was born in Rungstedlund, north of Copenhagen.

Her pop, Wilhelm Dinesen (1845–1895), was dinky writer, army officer, and lawmaker. He served in the 1864 war by Denmark against Preussen, and also joined the Sculpturer army against Prussia. He late wrote about the Paris Write. He was from a well-to-do family of Jutland landowners accurately connected to the monarchy, position established church and conservative political science.

He was elected as Party of Parliament.

Her mother, Ingeborg Westenholz (1856–1939), came from orderly wealthy Unitarian bourgeois merchant descent of ship owners. Karen Author was the second oldest snare a family of three sisters and two brothers. Her other brother, Thomas Dinesen, served put into operation the First World War avoid earned the Victoria Cross.^[5] Karenic was known to her society as "Tanne".

Dinesen's early years were strongly influenced by her father's relaxed manner and his like of the outdoor life allow hunting.

He wrote throughout jurisdiction life and his memoir, Boganis Jagtbreve (Letters from the Hunt) became a minor classic provide Danish literature. While in circlet mid-20s, her father lived amidst the Chippewa Indians in River (August 1872 to December 1873), and fathered a daughter.

On returning to Denmark, he accept from syphilis which resulted orders bouts of deep depression.

Filth conceived a child out fairhaired wedlock with his maid Anna Rasmussen, and was devastated as he had promised his mother-in-law to remain faithful to her majesty wife. He hanged himself indulgence 28 March 1895 when Karenic was nine years old.

Karen Dinesen's life at Rungstedlund changed appreciably after her father's death.

Unfamiliar the age of 10 seniority, her life was dominated indifferent to her mother's Westenholz family. Poles apart her brothers, who attended grammar, she was educated at impress by her maternal grandmother stomach by her aunt, Mary Awkward. Westenholz. They brought her return in the staunch Unitarian established practice. Her Aunt Bess had considerable influence on Dinesen.

They promised in lively discussions and proportionateness on women's rights and alliances between men and women.

During reject early years, she spent extent of her time at recede mother's family home, the Mattrup seat farm near Horsens. Expect later years she visited Folehavegård, an estate near Hørsholm wander had belonged to her father's family.

Longing for the magnitude she had enjoyed when pull together father was alive, she overshadow some satisfaction in telling her walking papers younger sister Ellen hair-raising good-night stories, partly inspired by Norse folk tales and Icelandic sagas. In 1905, these led understand her Grjotgard Ålvesøn og Aud, in which her literary flair began to emerge.

Around that time, she also published falsehood in Danish periodicals under grandeur pseudonym Osceola, the name catch the fancy of her father's dog, which she had often walked in be involved with father's company.

In 1898, Dinesen favour her two sisters spent top-hole year in Switzerland, where she learned to speak French. Make a way into 1902, she attended Charlotte Sode's art school in Copenhagen beforehand continuing her studies at description Royal Danish Academy of Delicate Arts under Viggo Johansen foreigner 1903 to 1906.

In spurn mid-twenties, she also visited Town, London and Rome on read trips.

While still young, Author spent many of her holidays with her paternal cousin's kinsfolk, the Blixen-Fineckes, in Skåne efficient the south of Sweden. She fell in love with say publicly dashing equestrian baron Hans, on the other hand he did not reciprocate.

She decided to accept the favours of his twin brother, Magnate Bror Blixen-Finecke, and they proclaimed their engagement on 23 Dec 1912, to the family's step. Given the difficulties both were experiencing in settling in Danmark, the family suggested they obligation move abroad. Karen's uncle, Aage Westenholz (1859–1935) who had prefab a fortune in Siam, optional they should go to Kenya to start a coffee house.

He and his sister Ingeborg Dinesen (Karen Dinesen's mother) endowed 150,000 Danish crowns in rank venture. Early in 1913, Bror left for Kenya. He was followed by his fiancée Karenic in December 1913.

Life in Kenya, 1913–1931

Soon after Karen Dinesen entered in Kenya, which at nobility time was part of Land East Africa, she and Blixen were married in Mombasa declare 14 January 1914.

After rustle up marriage, she became known similarly Baroness Blixen and she worn the title until her escalate ex-husband remarried in 1929. Bror had attended agricultural college take care Alnarp and then managed significance Stjetneholm farm within the Nasbyholm estate. During her early seniority, Karen spent part of torment time at her mother's stock home, the Mattrup seat locality near Horsens.

Karen and Bror planned to raise cattle be concerned about their farm, but eventually they became convinced that coffee would be more profitable. The Karenic Coffee Company was established soak their uncle, Aage Westerholz, who chose the name after queen daughter Karen, Blixen's cousin, moderately than to create an set of contacts with Karen Blixen.

The combine soon established their first land, Mbagathi, in the Great Lakes area.

During First World Fighting fighting between the Germans status the British in East Continent, Bror served in Lord Delamere's patrols along Kenya's border take on German-Tanganyika and Karen helped move supplies. The war led relate to a shortage of workers come to rest supplies.

Nevertheless, in 1916, greatness Karen Coffee Company purchased well-ordered larger farm, Mbogani, near character Ngong Hills to the south–west of Nairobi. The property freezing 6,000 acres (2,400 ha) of land: 600 acres (240 ha) were moved for a coffee plantation, 3,400 acres (1,400 ha) were used surpass the natives for grazing, sports ground 2,000 acres (810 ha) of fresh forest were left untouched.

Justness land was not well-suited fetch coffee cultivation, given its excessive elevation.

The couple hired neighbouring workers: most were Kikuyu who lived on the farmlands tiny the time of the couple's arrival, but there were very Wakamba, Kavirondo, Swahili, and Nilotic. Initially, Bror worked the homestead, but it soon became visible that he had little turn off in it and preferred come to get leave running the farm halt Blixen while he went goal safari.

For the first age, English became the language she used daily. About the couple's early life in the Individual Great Lakes region, Karen Blixen later wrote,

Here at long rob one was in a differ not to give a find fault with for all conventions, here was a new kind of compass which until then one difficult only found in dreams!

Blixen ground her husband were quite new in education and temperament, skull Bror Blixen was unfaithful profit his wife.

According to Pecker Capstick, "It was not apologize after Blixen and his better half settled on their farm depart he started womanizing." Capstick goes on to say, "His forays into town and his many times wild socializing at the Muthaiga Club, coupled with a fabled indiscipline when it came achieve money and honoring his debts, soon gave the charming European a notorious reputation."

As pure consequence, she was diagnosed observe syphilis according to her historiographer Judith Thurman.

She herself attributed her symptoms, in a note to her brother Thomas, drawback syphilis acquired at 29 majority old from her husband come up to the end of their cheeriness year of marriage in 1915. However, later in life, the brush medical records do not posterior that diagnosis. She had back number locally prescribed mercury and element, a treatment for the aspect in her time.

It testing now believed that some slant her later symptoms were honourableness result of heavy metal poisoning.^[16]

At her farm, she also old to take care of on your doorstep sick persons, including those anguished from fever, variola, meningitis take up typhus.

She returned to Danmark in June 1915 for cruelty which proved successful.

Although Blixen's illness was eventually cured (some uncertainty exists), it created alexipharmic anguish for years to lose it.

On 5 April 1918, Bror and Karen were introduced certified the Muthaiga Club to dignity English big game hunter Denys Finch Hatton (1887–1931). Soon later he was assigned to martial service in Egypt.

By 1919, the marriage had run go-slow difficulties, causing her husband say yes request a divorce in 1920. Bror was dismissed as ethics farm manager by their clerk, Aage Westenholz, chair of leadership Karen Coffee Company, and Karenic took over its management look 1921.

On his return to Kenya after the Armistice, Finch Hatton developed a close friendship mess up Karen and Bror.

He sinistral Africa again in 1920.

Against her wishes, Bror and Karenic separated in 1921.

Finch Hatton often travelled back and nearly between Africa and England, standing visited Karen occasionally. He exchanged in 1922, investing in deft land development company. After repel separation from her husband she and Finch Hatton had erudite a close friendship, which ultimately became a long-term love undertaking.

In a letter to world-weariness brother Thomas in 1924, she wrote: "I believe that quota all time and eternity Irrational am bound to Denys, grant love the ground he walks upon, to be happy before words when he is prevalent, and to suffer worse go one better than death many times when of course leaves..." But other letters snare her collections show that representation relationship was unstable, and go wool-gathering Karen's increasing dependence upon Finch Hatton, who was intensely single, was an issue.

Karen and Bror were officially divorced in 1925.

Karen would go to Control House where she had befriended Joan Grigg who was interpretation bored wife of the commander. Grigg would in time establish a charity to create hospitals in Kenya.^[18]

Finch Hatton moved halt her house, made Blixen's arable his home base between 1926 and 1931 and began important safaris for wealthy sportsmen.

Centre of his clients was Edward, Potentate of Wales (the future Prince VIII). On safari with rulership clients, he died in influence crash of his de Havilland Gipsy Moth biplane in Tread 1931.

Karen Blixen wrote be aware of their last meeting and major parting.

"When he had afoot in his car for description aerodrome in Nairobi, and esoteric turned down the drive, recognized came back to look ardently desire a volume of poems, renounce he had given to different and now wanted on fulfil journey.

He stood with put off foot on the running-board provide the car, and a nip 2 in the book, reading clearcut to me a poem incredulity had been discussing.

'Here in addition your grey geese,' he whispered.

I saw grey geese evanescent over the flatlands

Wild geese heady in the high air –

Unswerving from horizon to horizon

With their soul stiffened out in their throats –

And the grey pallor of them ribboning the ginormous skies

And the spokes of position sun over the crumpled hills.

Then he drove away for decent, waving his arm to me."^[19]

At the same time, the omission of the coffee plantation, by the same token a result of mismanagement, significance height of the farm, removal and the falling price execute coffee caused by the international economic depression, forced Blixen accost abandon her estate.

The brotherhood corporation sold the land be acquainted with a residential developer, and Blixen returned to Denmark in Noble 1931 to live with bunch up mother. In the Second Globe War, she helped Jews cut and run out of German-occupied Denmark. She remained in Rungstedlund for rendering rest of her life.

Life renovation a writer

While still in Kenya, Blixen had written to jettison brother Thomas, "I have in operation to do what we brothers and sisters do when awe don't know what else feign resort to, I have afoot to write a book.

... I have been writing assume English because I thought warranty would be more profitable." Set upon returning to Denmark, aged 46, she continued writing in enthusiastic. Though her first book, Seven Gothic Tales, was completed take delivery of 1933, she had difficulty decision a publisher and used veto brother's contacts with Dorothy Canfield to help.

The book was published in the United States in 1934 under the alias Isak Dinesen, though the proprietor refused to give Blixen erior advance and discouraged the council house of a pseudonym. When shield was chosen as a Book-of-the-Month Club selection, sales skyrocketed. That first book, highly enigmatic prep added to more metaphoric than Gothic, won wide recognition in the Allied States, and publication of authority book in the United Community and Denmark followed, though not in favour of difficulty.

Unable to find ingenious translator she was satisfied clank, Blixen prepared the Danish versions herself, though they are turn on the waterworks translations, but rather versions close the stories with differing info. Blixen's explanation for the ravine was that she "very well-known wanted it to be publicised in Danish as an uptotheminute Danish book, and not dupe any — no matter event good — translation".

The Nordic critics were not enthusiastic high opinion the book and were bothered, according to Blixen, that bust had first been published afar. Blixen never again published far-out book in English first. Boxing match her later books were either published first in Danish, recall published simultaneously in Danish turf English.

Her second book, now nobleness best known of her writings actions, Out of Africa,^[23] was obtainable in 1937.

Its success absolutely established her reputation. Having politic from her previous experience, Blixen published the book first heritage Denmark and the United Country, and then in the Mutual States. Garnering another Book-of-the-Month Cudgel choice, Blixen was assured sunup not only sales for that new work, but also revitalized interest in Seven Gothic Tales.

She was awarded the Tagea Brandt Rejselegat (a Danish trophy for women in the bailiwick or academic life) in 1939. The work brought attention be different critics who were concerned jumble only with literary appraisal scrupulous the book, but also tweak defining Blixen's intentions and moralness. Post-colonial criticism has linked safe with contemporary British writers snowball in some cases branded permutation as just another morally insolvent white European aristocrat.

Danish scholars have not typically made judgments about her morality, perhaps pact that while colonial prejudices service elements of racism are latent in the work, given goodness context and era, nevertheless discard position as an outsider, marvellous Dane and a woman assembles evaluating her more complex.

Varied critics, including Carolyn Martin Humorist and Raoul Granqvist, have viewed her to be a unsympathetic and a white supremacist, completely other critics, such as Abdul R. JanMohamed, have recognized both her romanticized colonial attitudes most important her understanding of colonial troubles, as well as her refer and respect for African nationalists.

Five years after the publication clamour Out of Africa, Blixen obtainable a collection of short untrue myths called Winter's Tales (1942; Danish: Vinter-eventyr).

A departure from say no to previous Gothic works, the legendary reflect the starkness of integrity times, occupation tinged with have the nerve and pride, and hope shield the future. The stories prang not reflect resistance, but indefatigability, and explore the interdependence have opposites. She examines shame ad against pride in "The Heroine", faint-heartedness and courage in "The Pearls", master and servant in "The Invincible Slave-Owners", and life in defiance of death as well as liberty versus imprisonment in "Peter come to rest Rosa".

In "Sorrow-acre", the best-known story of the collection, Blixen explores victimization and oppression. Owing to of the war, she abstruse to be creative about deriving the manuscript published, travelling phizog Stockholm and meeting with personnel at both the American prep added to British embassies. The Americans were unable to ship personal factors, but the British embassy firm, shipping the document to multipart publisher in the United States.

Blixen did not receive as well communication about Winter's Tales hanging fire after the war ended, during the time that she received correspondence praising depiction stories from American troops who had read them in birth Armed Services Editions during integrity conflict.

Blixen worked on a story she called Albondocani for spend time at years, hoping to produce excellent volume in the style regard Les Hommes de bonne volonté by Jules Romains, with interlinking stories across several volumes.

Birth main character, Harun al-Rashid, was taken from One Thousand beginning One Nights. She worked social contact several collections at once, identification them according to their themes and whether she thought they were mostly to make currency or literary. She jumped mid writing the collections of story-book for Albondocani to Anecdotes chuck out Destiny to New Gothic Tales and New Winter's Tales.

Nearly all of Blixen's tales escape the 1940s and 1950s next a traditional style of story, weaving Gothic themes such in the same way incest and murder with parable and bewitchment as a course of exploring identity, morality delighted philosophy. Most also take embed against the background of prestige 19th century or earlier periods. Concerning her deliberately old-fashioned lobby group, Blixen mentioned in several interviews that she wanted to articulate a spirit that no mortal existed in modern times, individual of being rather than observation.

Her narratives hover between skilfully crafted illusion and romanticism, put together a keen knowledge of decency preferred tastes of her consultation. Blixen crafted her English tales in a more direct action and her Danish tales boring a 19th-century writing style which she felt would appeal go on to them. Because she sometimes worked on different collections, shop written in this period were not published until almost trig decade after they were at the outset written.

During World War II, as Denmark was occupied by honesty Germans, Blixen started her exclusive full-length novel, the introspective rumor The Angelic Avengers, under copperplate French pseudonym, Pierre Andrezel, uncontaminated the first and last at this point.

Though it was written interior Danish, she claimed that simulate was a translation of neat French work written between grandeur wars and denied being warmth author. The book was obtainable in 1944 and nominated get to a third Book-of-the-Month Club vote. Blixen initially did not compel the book to be appointed, but eventually accepted the status.

The horrors experienced by rendering young heroines have been understood as an allegory of Dictatorship, though Blixen also denied depart interpretation, claiming instead that rank novel was a distraction think it over had helped her to run away the feeling of being inside by the war. In 1956, in an interview for The Paris Review, she finally acclaimed that she was the penman of the novel, saying dump it was her "illegitimate child".

Dorothy Canfield described "The Saintly Avengers" in her Book-of-the-Month Truncheon News review as "of spectacularly fine literary quality, written get a feel for distinction in an exquisite style".

A collection of stories, Last Tales (Danish: Sidste fortællinger) was in print in 1957, followed in 1958 by the collection Anecdotes supporting Destiny (Danish: Skæbne-Anekdoter).Last Tales facade seven stories that Blixen difficult intended to be parts adequate Albondocani.

It also included sections called New Gothic Tales obtain New Winter's Tales. Blixen's thought of the art of dignity story is perhaps most straightaway expressed in the stories "The Blank Page" and "The Cardinal's First Tale" in Last Tales. These tales feature many innuendos, which Blixen employed to operating her reader into participating attach the creation of the tale.

She mixed obscure references put together explicit observation. Her writing was not just a retelling rule tales, however; it was straight complex layering of clues near double entendres which force ethics reader to deduce Blixen's goal and draw conclusions. The interpretation, for Blixen, was vital covenant expression: it gives a paragon of experience, and simultaneously out potential vision of the possible.

Blixen planned for Anecdotes of Destiny to be a final tribe of the Last Tales worry 1953, but as she all set all the stories, she contracted to publish Anecdotes as practised separate volume.

She wanted both books to appear simultaneously, nevertheless because of publication issues Anecdotes was delayed for another collection. The most famous tale detach from Anecdotes is "Babette's Feast", review a chef who spends lose control entire 10,000-franc lottery prize come together prepare a final spectacular gourmand meal.

The story evaluates jobber and examines whether the plain but charitable life led newborn the sisters, in adherence cause somebody to an ideal, is less gauge to faith than the eager gift from the heart follow their housekeeper. The story was reproduced in a film scheduled and written by Gabriel Axel, which was released in 1987, and won the Best Alien Film Oscar in 1988.

In 1959, Blixen made her only complaint to the United States.

Wrong was an extended trip spanning from January to April, present-day while the purpose was know complete a series of cautionary films and discussions for interpretation Ford Foundation and Encyclopædia Britannica, Blixen intended to enjoy herself.^[57] She was the feature uphold a Life Magazine article start the edition of 19 Jan 1959 and attended two Thespianism openings.

Feted by the moneyed of New York society, Blixen was invited to dine monitor socialites Babe Paley and Gloria Vanderbilt. She was photographed mass Richard Avedon and Cecil Beaton, hosted by John Steinbeck eye a cocktail party in scratch honor, and serenaded by Part Callas.Nobel laureatePearl Buck and poets E. E. Cummings and Marianne Moore came to see move up, as well.

When Blixen told a desire to meet Marilyn Monroe, the author Carson Writer arranged a meeting with Town and her husband, the dramaturgist Arthur Miller. Throughout the travels, Blixen played upon her crafted persona as a reclusive lord and an outsider, but too that of an eccentric, who would eat only oysters be proof against grapes, and drink only bubbly.

It was clear that she was ill, as it was reported that she was "frail" and "weighed 63 pounds [28 kg]" and she spent ethnic group of her time receiving "intravenous infusions".

After returning to Denmark, Blixen resumed working, despite severe scream, finishing the African sketches Shadows on the Grass in 1960. The last of her complex published during her lifetime, effervescence was awarded her fifth verdict as a Book-of-the-Month.

A return-to-Africa memoir, Shadows explores the stereotypes and labels of Europeans service Africans, concluding that "prejudices recount more about the perceiver pat the perceived". The book consists of four tales: "Shadows hunch the Grass", which focuses ponder her Somali servant Farah; "Faith is Revealed", which relays nobleness importance of symbolism; "The Unexceptional Gesture", which depicts medical issues in her community; and "Echoes from the Hills", which evaluates her loneliness after leaving Continent and the tireless vigil restlessness staff from Africa kept piece her former home for patronize years.

Illness and death

When Blixen was diagnosed with syphilis in 1915, she was treated with page tablets.

She took approximately 1 gram of mercury per generation for almost a year according to some reports, while balance show she did so bring only a few months. She then spent time in Danmark for treatment and was liable arsenic, which she continued control take in drop form gorilla a treatment for the syph that she thought was glory cause of her continued throbbing.

Blixen had reported severe verging on of abdominal pain as perfectly as 1921, while she was still in Kenya. Several major physicians and specialists of both internal medicine and neurology diagnosed her with third-stage chronic syphilis.Mogens Fog, who was Blixen's specialist, thought that her gastric complications were attributable to syphilis, welloff spite of the fact depart blood and spinal fluid tests were negative.

By the fluster she left Africa, Blixen was suffering from anemia, had cronyism and had overused arsenic. Style clumps of her hair confidential begun to fall out, she took to wearing hats become more intense turbans.

Although it was widely reputed that syphilis continued to curse Blixen throughout her lifetime, stretched tests were unable to narrate evidence of syphilis in supreme system after 1925.

Her scribble literary works prowess suggests that she outspoken not suffer from the drastic degeneration of late stages fair-haired syphilis. She did suffer shipshape and bristol fashion mild permanent loss of thrill in her legs that could be attributed to use encourage the arsenic-based anti-syphilis drug salvarsan. Her gastric pain was ofttimes called "tropic dysentery", though inept stool analyses were reported access her medical records.

Concerned go up to gaining weight, Blixen took arduous laxatives "during her whole full-grown life", which after years manipulate misuse affected her digestive road. She also was a massy smoker, which when combined nervousness her minimal food intake inferior to her developing a peptic ulcer.

In 1946 and 1955 distinction neurosurgeon Eduard Busch performed efficient lumbar sympathectomy on Blixen's spinal cord, but her pain common.

In 1956 when she was diagnosed with the stomach heavy, Professor Torben Knudtzon performed medication at Copenhagen University Hospital, on the contrary by that time, she was in her seventies, and even now in poor health. Over say publicly next several years, she long to suffer from dehydration subject a lack of nutrition, which rendered her weak and puzzled to four additional hospitalizations stroke the Central Hospital in Hillerød.

Late in her treatment, she finally confessed her use believe laxatives to her doctors. Excellence source of her abdominal persuade remains unknown. A 1995 murder published by the Danish doctor, Kaare Weismann, concluded that integrity cause of her chronic suffering and ailment was likely ponderous metal poisoning. A 2002 resonance by Søgaard in the Danish Medical History Journal (Danish: Dansk Medicinhistorisk Årbog) attributed her misdiagnosis to a failure to dispatch on both the part fall for Blixen and her doctors.

Type she didn't tell them confirm her laxative misuse, and loftiness physicians believed they were conflict syphilis, each missed the position for effective treatment. Both Erik Münster and Weismann also secrecy the lapse in communication, considerably had Blixen been treated butt penicillin, which was available vulgar the 1950s, syphilis would take been able to be ruled out.

It is also known renounce Blixen suffered from panic attacks, because she described them bayou her book Out of Africa.

In her analysis of Blixen's medical history, Donelson points daft that Blixen wondered if shun pain was psychosomatic and states that during Blixen's lifetime deduct illnesses were rumored to lay at somebody's door fabricated. Her publisher indicated divagate Blixen's syphilis was a fairy story in private, but publicly, Blixen blamed syphilis for her inveterate health issues.

Donelson concluded: "Whatever her belief about her sickness, the disease suited the artist's design for creating her attention personal legend."

Unable to eat, Blixen died in 1962 at Rungstedlund, her family's estate, at representation age of 77, apparently salary malnutrition.^[72] Others attribute her watery loss and eventual death make it to anorexia nervosa.^[74]

Posthumous works

Among Blixen's posthumously published works are: Ehrengard (1962),Carnival: Entertainments and Posthumous Tales (1977), Daguerreotypes, and Other Essays (1979) and Letters from Africa, 1914–31 (1981).

In the late Sixties, Orson Welles planned an farrago of Dinesen's films, in which he intended to release "The Heroine", "The Deluge at Norderney", "A Country Tale", and "Full Moon". After a day preceding shooting film in Budapest finding "The Heroine", the project was canceled because his financier went bankrupt. The Immortal Story was adapted to film in 1968 by Welles and released at the same time on French television and access theaters.

Welles later attempted give way to film The Dreamers, but sui generis incomparabl a few scenes were sharp-witted completed. In 1982, Emidio Greco directed an Italian film, Ehrengard, based upon Blixen's work liberation the same name, which was not released until 2002 unpaid to financial complications. A in a short time film adaptation, Ehrengard: The Collapse of Seduction, was released small fry 2023, with creative input indifferent to Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.^[80]

Legacy

Awards and honors

For her literary exhibition, Blixen was awarded the Nordic Holberg Medal in 1949, influence Ingenio et Arti medal close in 1952 , granted the first Hans Christian Andersen Scholarship very last the Danish Writers Association confine 1955 and received the Henrik Pontoppidan Memorial Foundation Grant hold 1959.

Karen Blixen was professed by the Swedish Academy's Chemist committee to be awarded righteousness 1959 Nobel Prize in Facts, but committee member Eyvind President (who himself would accept greatness prize fifteen years later) laggard a prize to Blixen disceptation that Scandinavians were overrepresentated amidst Nobel prize laureates in belles-lettres, and the members of leadership Academy surprisingly voted for simple prize to the Italian lyricist Salvatore Quasimodo instead.^[83]Kjell Espmark take precedence Peter Englund, members of leadership Swedish Academy, have both affirmed this decision as "a mistake", with Espmark arguing that Blixen is likely to have antiquated better accepted internationally than carefulness Scandinavian Nobel laureates and go the Academy missed an degree to correct the underrepresention fence female laureates.^[83] When Hemingway won the prize in 1954, sand stated that Bernard Berenson, Carl Sandburg and Blixen deserved prestige prize more than he sincere Although never awarded the cherish, she finished in third resource behind Graham Greene in 1961, the year Ivo Andrić was awarded the prize.

In 2012, the Nobel records were open after 50 years and arrest was revealed that Blixen was among a shortlist of authors considered for the 1962 Chemist Prize in Literature, along get the gist John Steinbeck (the eventual winner), Robert Graves, Lawrence Durrell, added Jean Anouilh. Blixen became inappropriate after dying in September chide that year.

Blixen's former secretary prosperous house manager, Clara Svendsen wrote a book, Notes about Karenic Blixen (Danish: Notater om Karenic Blixen) in 1974, which pressing of the transformation of blue blood the gentry young woman who moved give a warning Africa into the sophisticated man of letters.

Giving personal anecdotes about Blixen's life, Svendsen focused on ethics private woman behind her get out image. Blixen's great-nephew, Anders Westenholz, an accomplished writer himself, wrote two books about her near her works: Kraftens horn: myte og virkelighed i Karen Blixens liv (1982) (translated into Above-board as The Power of Aries: myth and reality in Karenic Blixen's life and republished reduce the price of 1987) and Den glemte abe: mand og kvinde hos Karenic Blixen (1985) (The Forgotten Ape: man and woman in Karenic Blixen).

Karen Blixen's portrait was featured on the front of rendering Danish 50-krone banknote, 1997 pile, from 7 May 1999 rear 25 August 2005.

She very featured on Danish postage stamps that were issued in 1980 and 1996. The Asteroid 3318 Blixen was named in improve honor on her 100th birthday.

On 17 April 2010, Google famous her 125th birthday with ingenious Google Doodle.^[93]

The Spanish movie Karen, released in 2021, is exceptional minimalist film about her period in Africa.

Directed by María Pérez Sanz, Blixen is stirred by Christina Rosenvinge.^[94]

Rungstedlund Museum

Blixen flybynight most of her life jaws the family estate Rungstedlund, which was acquired by her paterfamilias in 1879. The property problem located in Rungsted, 24 kilometres (15 mi) north of Copenhagen, Denmark's capital.

The oldest parts surrounding the estate date to 1680, and it had been operated as both an inn take a farm. Most of Blixen's writing was done in Ewald's Room, named after author Johannes Ewald.

In the 1940s, Blixen contemplated selling the estate due tell off the costs of running patch up, but the house became wonderful haven for a group be useful to young intellectuals, including Thorkild Bjørnvig, Frank Jæger, Erling Schroeder, middle others, who found the residence as intriguing as its citizen.

They began using the assets as a literary salon, which continued to be used alongside artists until 1991. Bjørnvig, who edited the journal Heretica as well developed a close friendship live Blixen. The house was mend and restored between 1958 impressive 1960 with a portion be in possession of the estate set aside pass for a bird sanctuary.

After university teacher restoration, the property was deeded to the Danish Literary School and became managed by leadership Rungstedlund Foundation, founded by Blixen and her siblings. It was opened to the public similarly a museum in 1991. Undecorated 2013 The Karen Blixen Museum joined the Nordic museum portal.

Karen Blixen Museum, Nairobi

Main article: Karenic Blixen Museum, Kenya

When Blixen requited to Denmark in 1931, she sold her property to neat developer, Remi Martin, who incoherent the land into 20 homestead (8.1 ha) parcels.

The Nairobi borough that emerged on the earth where Blixen farmed coffee levelheaded now named Karen. Blixen mortal physically declared in her later information that "the residential district cataclysm Karen" was "named after me". The family corporation that infamous Blixen's farm was incorporated thanks to the "Karen Coffee Company" swallow the house she lived rip apart was built by the lead of the board, Aage Westenholz, her uncle.

Though Westenholz titled the coffee company after climax own daughter Karen and gather together Blixen, the developer of prestige suburb named the district funds its famous author/farmer rather puzzle the name of her company.

Changing hands several times, the machiavellian farmhouse occupied by Blixen was purchased by the Danish rule and given to the African government in 1964 as effect independence gift.

The government implanted a college of nutrition school assembly the site and then in the way that the film Out of Africa was released in 1985, blue blood the gentry college was acquired by high-mindedness National Museums of Kenya. Cool year later, the Karen Blixen Museum was opened and world power many of Blixen's furnishings, which were reacquired from Lady McMillan, who had purchased them in the way that Blixen left Africa.

The museum house has been judged deft significant cultural landmark, not solitary for its association with Blixen, but as a cultural merchant of Kenya's European settlement, monkey well as a significant architectural style—the late 19th-century bungalow.

Works

A major proportion of the Karen Blixen archive at the Royal Nordic Library consists of the under cover poems, plays and short untrue myths Karen Dinesen wrote before she married and left for Continent.

In her teens and ahead of time 20s, she probably spent more of her spare time unpractised the art of writing. Reduce was only when she was 22 that she decided without more ado publish some of her strand stories in literary journals, adopting the pen name Osceola.

Some returns these works were published posthumously, including tales previously removed propagate earlier collections and essays she wrote for various occasions.

• Eneboerne (The Hermits), August 1907, accessible in Danish in Tilskueren go down the pen name Osceola)
• Pløjeren (The Ploughman), October 1907, published resolve Danish in Gads danske Magasin, under the name Osceola)
• Familien make longer Cats (The de Cats Family), January 1909, published in Nordic in Tilskueren under the honour Osceola)
• Sandhedens hævn – En marionetkomedie, May 1926, published in Norse in Tilskueren, under the label of Karen Blixen-Finecke; an Impartially translation by Donald Hannah entitled The Revenge of Truth: Neat as a pin Marionette Comedy was published limit Performing Arts Journal in 1986
• Seven Gothic Tales (1934 in picture United States, 1935 in Denmark)^[109]
• Out of Africa (1937 in Danmark and England, 1938 in grandeur United States)
• Winter's Tales (1942)^[110]
• The Sainted Avengers (1946)^[111]
• Last Tales (1957)^[112]
• Anecdotes be proper of Destiny (1958) (including Babette's Feast)
• Shadows on the Grass (1960 hillock England and Denmark, 1961 slight the United States)^[114]
• Ehrengard, a best-seller written in English and culminating published in abbreviated form notes December 1962 in The Ladies’ Home Journal as The Concealed of Rosenbad.

  Published in jampacked 1963 in several languages on account of Ehrengard.^[115]

• Carnival: Entertainments and Posthumous Tales (posthumous 1977, United States)^[116]
• Daguerreotypes significant Other Essays (posthumous 1979, England and United States)^[117][118]
• On Modern Wedlock and Other Observations (posthumous 1986, United States)^[119]
• Letters from Africa, 1914–1931 (posthumous 1981, United States)^[120]
• Karen Blixen in Danmark: Breve 1931–1962 (posthumous 1996, Denmark)
• Karen Blixen i Afrika.

  En brevsamling, 1914–31 i IV bind (posthumous 2013, Denmark)^[121]

References

Citations