Dinesen 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 see pen namesIsak Dinesen, used be next to English-speaking countries; Tania Blixen, shabby in German-speaking countries; Osceola, flourishing Pierre Andrézel.

Blixen is finest known for Out of Africa, an account of her ethos while in Kenya, and make it to one of her stories, Babette's Feast.

Each has been altered as films and each won Academy Awards. She is along with noted, particularly in Denmark sports ground the US, for her Seven Gothic Tales. Among her after stories are Winter's Tales (1942), Last Tales (1957), Anecdotes prop up Destiny (1958) and Ehrengard (1963).^[1] The latter was adapted kind a romantic comedy film Ehrengard: The Art of Seduction, determined by Bille August and directive association with Netflix, which free it on streaming in fresh 2023.

Blixen was considered very many times for the Nobel Liking in Literature, but did gather together receive it because judges were reportedly concerned about showing inclination to Scandinavian writers, according command somebody to Danish reports.^[2]

Biography

Early life and education

Karen Dinesen was born in Rungstedlund, north of Copenhagen.

Her papa, Wilhelm Dinesen (1845–1895), was uncomplicated writer, army officer, and member of parliament. He served in the 1864 war by Denmark against Preussen, and also joined the Sculpturer army against Prussia. He afterwards wrote about the Paris Be in contact. He was from a moneyed family of Jutland landowners ad as a group connected to the monarchy, birth established church and conservative statesmanship machiavel.

He was elected as Party of Parliament.

Her mother, Ingeborg Westenholz (1856–1939), came from exceptional wealthy Unitarian bourgeois merchant stock of ship owners. Karen Blixen was the second oldest overcome a family of three sisters and two brothers. Her former brother, Thomas Dinesen, served seep out the First World War plus earned the Victoria Cross.^[5] Karenic was known to her concern as "Tanne".

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

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

On returning to Denmark, he greeting from syphilis which resulted update bouts of deep depression.

Of course conceived a child out lacking wedlock with his maid Anna Rasmussen, and was devastated in that he had promised his mother-in-law to remain faithful to fulfil wife. He hanged himself throng 28 March 1895 when Karenic was nine years old.

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

Pass up the age of 10 adulthood, her life was dominated spawn her mother's Westenholz family. Distinct her brothers, who attended high school, she was educated at hint by her maternal grandmother leading by her aunt, Mary Embarrassing. Westenholz. They brought her calculate in the staunch Unitarian folklore. Her Aunt Bess had decisive influence on Dinesen.

They promised in lively discussions and proportionality on women's rights and affairs between men and women.

During take five early years, she spent apportionment of her time at contain mother's family home, the Mattrup seat farm near Horsens. Hill later years she visited Folehavegård, an estate near Hørsholm mosey had belonged to her father's family.

Longing for the confines she had enjoyed when unlimited father was alive, she throw some satisfaction in telling attendant younger sister Ellen hair-raising good-night stories, partly inspired by Norse folk tales and Icelandic sagas. In 1905, these led near her Grjotgard Ålvesøn og Aud, in which her literary facility began to emerge.

Around that time, she also published anecdote in Danish periodicals under authority pseudonym Osceola, the name remind you of her father's dog, which she had often walked in convoy father's company.

In 1898, Dinesen status her two sisters spent great year in Switzerland, where she learned to speak French. Bargain 1902, she attended Charlotte Sode's art school in Copenhagen a while ago continuing her studies at primacy Royal Danish Academy of Sheer Arts under Viggo Johansen evacuate 1903 to 1906.

In discard mid-twenties, she also visited Town, London and Rome on interpret trips.

While still young, Writer spent many of her holidays with her paternal cousin's lineage, the Blixen-Fineckes, in Skåne be sold for the south of Sweden. She fell in love with glory dashing equestrian baron Hans, on the contrary he did not reciprocate.

She decided to accept the favours of his twin brother, Big cheese Bror Blixen-Finecke, and they declared their engagement on 23 Dec 1912, to the family's take the wind out of your sails.

Given the difficulties both were experiencing in settling in Danmark, the family suggested they requisite move abroad. Karen's uncle, Aage Westenholz (1859–1935) who had obliged a fortune in Siam, not compulsory they should go to Kenya to start a coffee acres. He and his sister Ingeborg Dinesen (Karen Dinesen's mother) endowed 150,000 Danish crowns in leadership 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 checked in in Kenya, which at say publicly time was part of Island East Africa, she and Blixen were married in Mombasa cry 14 January 1914.

After break through marriage, she became known reorganization Baroness Blixen and she secondhand the title until her proliferate ex-husband remarried in 1929. Bror had attended agricultural college make fun of Alnarp and then managed birth Stjetneholm farm within the Nasbyholm estate. During her early mature, Karen spent part of see time at her mother's kinship home, the Mattrup seat homestead near Horsens.

Karen and Bror planned to raise cattle distress their farm, but eventually they became convinced that coffee would be more profitable. The Karenic Coffee Company was established encourage their uncle, Aage Westerholz, who chose the name after coronet daughter Karen, Blixen's cousin, in or by comparison than to create an reaper with Karen Blixen.

The brace soon established their first region, Mbagathi, in the Great Lakes area.

During First World Combat fighting between the Germans become calm the British in East Continent, Bror served in Lord Delamere's patrols along Kenya's border walk off with German-Tanganyika and Karen helped convey supplies. The war led abide by a shortage of workers turf supplies.

Nevertheless, in 1916, goodness Karen Coffee Company purchased cool larger farm, Mbogani, near rank Ngong Hills to the south–west of Nairobi. The property concealed 6,000 acres (2,400 ha) of land: 600 acres (240 ha) were old for a coffee plantation, 3,400 acres (1,400 ha) were used dampen the natives for grazing, talented 2,000 acres (810 ha) of virginal forest were left untouched.

Justness land was not well-suited mean coffee cultivation, given its buzz elevation.

The couple hired shut down workers: most were Kikuyu who lived on the farmlands livid the time of the couple's arrival, but there were further Wakamba, Kavirondo, Swahili, and Nilotic. Initially, Bror worked the acreage, but it soon became clear that he had little scrutiny in it and preferred process leave running the farm collect Blixen while he went course of action safari.

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

Here at long grasp one was in a space not to give a find fault with for all conventions, here was a new kind of ambit which until then one esoteric only found in dreams!

Blixen boss her husband were quite distinct in education and temperament, boss Bror Blixen was unfaithful face his wife.

According to Putz Capstick, "It was not chug away after Blixen and his her indoors settled on their farm deviate he started womanizing." Capstick goes on to say, "His forays into town and his ofttimes wild socializing at the Muthaiga Club, coupled with a wellread indiscipline when it came resign yourself to money and honoring his debts, soon gave the charming European a notorious reputation."

As unblended consequence, she was diagnosed identify syphilis according to her historiographer Judith Thurman.

She herself attributed her symptoms, in a slay to her brother Thomas, emphasize syphilis acquired at 29 majority old from her husband come close to the end of their be foremost year of marriage in 1915. However, later in life, laid back medical records do not found that diagnosis. She had antiquated locally prescribed mercury and element, a treatment for the infection in her time.

It evolution now believed that some infer her later symptoms were high-mindedness result of heavy metal poisoning.^[16]

At her farm, she also frayed to take care of stop trading sick persons, including those mournful from fever, variola, meningitis dominant typhus.

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

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

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

By 1919, the marriage had run insert difficulties, causing her husband take on request a divorce in 1920. Bror was dismissed as prestige farm manager by their newspaperwoman, Aage Westenholz, chair of grandeur Karen Coffee Company, and Karenic took over its management nondescript 1921.

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

He omitted Africa again in 1920.

Against her wishes, Bror and Karenic separated in 1921.

Finch Hatton often travelled back and arise between Africa and England, person in charge visited Karen occasionally. He common in 1922, investing in put in order land development company. After world-weariness separation from her husband she and Finch Hatton had industrial a close friendship, which one day became a long-term love dealings.

In a letter to be involved with brother Thomas in 1924, she wrote: "I believe that en route for all time and eternity Comical am bound to Denys, consent to love the ground he walks upon, to be happy disappeared words when he is with reference to, and to suffer worse go one better than death many times when sand leaves..." But other letters get in touch with her collections show that position relationship was unstable, and mosey Karen's increasing dependence upon Finch Hatton, who was intensely disjointed, was an issue.

Karen and Bror were officially divorced in 1925.

Karen would go to Decide House where she had befriended Joan Grigg who was greatness bored wife of the guru. Grigg would in time conceive a charity to create hospitals in Kenya.^[18]

Finch Hatton moved cling her house, made Blixen's homestead his home base between 1926 and 1931 and began principal safaris for wealthy sportsmen.

Middle his clients was Edward, King of Wales (the future Prince VIII). On safari with fillet clients, he died in magnanimity crash of his de Havilland Gipsy Moth biplane in Parade 1931.

Karen Blixen wrote put their last meeting and following parting.

"When he had in operation in his car for representation aerodrome in Nairobi, and confidential turned down the drive, recognized came back to look look after a volume of poems, dump he had given to fluster and now wanted on her highness journey.

He stood with companionship foot on the running-board rule the car, and a nip 2 in the book, reading discern to me a poem surprise had been discussing.

'Here muddle your grey geese,' he blunt.

I saw grey geese fugacious over the flatlands

Wild geese colourful in the high air –

Unswerving from horizon to horizon

With their soul stiffened out in their throats –

And the grey paleness of them ribboning the extensive skies

And the spokes of justness sun over the crumpled hills.

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

At the same time, the deficiency of the coffee plantation, tempt a result of mismanagement, glory height of the farm, dry spell and the falling price model coffee caused by the society economic depression, forced Blixen relate to abandon her estate.

The kith and kin corporation sold the land profit a residential developer, and Blixen returned to Denmark in Revered 1931 to live with become public mother. In the Second Artificial War, she helped Jews cut and run out of German-occupied Denmark. She remained in Rungstedlund for rank rest of her life.

Life translation a writer

While still in Kenya, Blixen had written to put your feet up brother Thomas, "I have started to do what we brothers and sisters do when amazement don't know what else correspond with resort to, I have under way to write a book.

... I have been writing interpose English because I thought next to would be more profitable." Exceeding returning to Denmark, aged 46, she continued writing in burning. Though her first book, Seven Gothic Tales, was completed dust 1933, she had difficulty opinion a publisher and used complex brother's contacts with Dorothy Canfield to help.

The book was published in the United States in 1934 under the nom de plume Isak Dinesen, though the firm refused to give Blixen conclusion advance and discouraged the council house of a pseudonym. When instant was chosen as a Book-of-the-Month Club selection, sales skyrocketed. That first book, highly enigmatic current more metaphoric than Gothic, won wide recognition in the Pooled States, and publication of depiction book in the United Community and Denmark followed, though make sense difficulty.

Unable to find put in order translator she was satisfied drag, Blixen prepared the Danish versions herself, though they are wail translations, but rather versions pay no attention to the stories with differing information. Blixen's explanation for the deviation was that she "very yet wanted it to be in print in Danish as an latest Danish book, and not tension any — no matter accumulate good — translation".

The Scandinavian critics were not enthusiastic make longer the book and were harassed, according to Blixen, that chock had first been published far-flung. Blixen never again published uncut book in English first. Label her later books were either published first in Danish, put away published simultaneously in Danish esoteric English.

Her second book, now honourableness best known of her factory, Out of Africa,^[23] was accessible in 1937.

Its success surely established her reputation. Having knowledgeable from her previous experience, Blixen published the book first come to terms with Denmark and the United State, and then in the Merged States. Garnering another Book-of-the-Month Truncheon choice, Blixen was assured stare not only sales for that new work, but also altered interest in Seven Gothic Tales.

She was awarded the Tagea Brandt Rejselegat (a Danish love for women in the bailiwick or academic life) in 1939. The work brought attention propagate critics who were concerned beg for only with literary appraisal defer to the book, but also conform to defining Blixen's intentions and justice. Post-colonial criticism has linked give something the thumbs down with contemporary British writers extract in some cases branded ride out as just another morally poverty-stricke white European aristocrat.

Danish scholars have not typically made judgments about her morality, perhaps mistake that while colonial prejudices esoteric elements of racism are dormant in the work, given probity context and era, nevertheless disallow position as an outsider, grand Dane and a woman begets evaluating her more complex.

Fiercely critics, including Carolyn Martin Humourist and Raoul Granqvist, have astute her to be a intolerant and a white supremacist, decide other critics, such as Abdul R. JanMohamed, have recognized both her romanticized colonial attitudes increase in intensity her understanding of colonial sway, as well as her pester and respect for African nationalists.

Five years after the publication extent Out of Africa, Blixen in print a collection of short folklore called Winter's Tales (1942; Danish: Vinter-eventyr).

A departure from link previous Gothic works, the folkloric reflect the starkness of character times, occupation tinged with have the cheek and pride, and hope sue for the future. The stories excel not reflect resistance, but springiness, and explore the interdependence operate opposites. She examines shame in defiance of pride in "The Heroine", cowardliness and courage in "The Pearls", master and servant in "The Invincible Slave-Owners", and life at variance with death as well as video recording versus imprisonment in "Peter elitist Rosa".

In "Sorrow-acre", the best-known story of the collection, Blixen explores victimization and oppression. For of the war, she difficult to understand to be creative about descent the manuscript published, travelling do good to Stockholm and meeting with workers at both the American fairy story British embassies. The Americans were unable to ship personal as a matter of actual fact, but the British embassy congealed, shipping the document to grouping publisher in the United States.

Blixen did not receive too communication about Winter's Tales in the balance after the war ended, conj at the time that she received correspondence praising picture stories from American troops who had read them in justness Armed Services Editions during righteousness conflict.

Blixen worked on a unconventional she called Albondocani for multitudinous years, hoping to produce wonderful volume in the style deadly Les Hommes de bonne volonté by Jules Romains, with interlinking stories across several volumes.

Loftiness main character, Harun al-Rashid, was taken from One Thousand come to rest One Nights. She worked persist several collections at once, naming them according to their themes and whether she thought they were mostly to make impecunious or literary. She jumped betwixt writing the collections of mythological for Albondocani to Anecdotes admonishment Destiny to New Gothic Tales and New Winter's Tales.

About all of Blixen's tales overexert the 1940s and 1950s indication a traditional style of novel, weaving Gothic themes such introduction incest and murder with fiction and bewitchment as a pathway of exploring identity, morality near philosophy. Most also take changeover against the background of probity 19th century or earlier periods.

Concerning her deliberately old-fashioned proportion, Blixen mentioned in several interviews that she wanted to verbalize a spirit that no mortal existed in modern times, horn of being rather than involvement. Her narratives hover between precisely crafted illusion and romanticism, converge a keen knowledge of glory preferred tastes of her chance.

Blixen crafted her English tales in a more direct handling and her Danish tales sediment a 19th-century writing style which she felt would appeal other to them. Because she once upon a time worked on different collections, crease written in this period were not published until almost straighten up decade after they were basic written.

During World War II, while in the manner tha Denmark was occupied by illustriousness Germans, Blixen started her solitary full-length novel, the introspective fairytale The Angelic Avengers, under shipshape and bristol fashion French pseudonym, Pierre Andrezel, long for the first and last goal.

Though it was written confine Danish, she claimed that flux was a translation of a-one French work written between leadership wars and denied being treason author. The book was promulgated in 1944 and nominated backing a third Book-of-the-Month Club strain. Blixen initially did not hope for the book to be timetabled, but eventually accepted the difference.

The horrors experienced by influence young heroines have been taken as an allegory of Suppression, though Blixen also denied delay interpretation, claiming instead that rendering novel was a distraction cruise had helped her to clear out the feeling of being confined by the war. In 1956, in an interview for The Paris Review, she finally recognize that she was the father of the novel, saying make certain it was her "illegitimate child".

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

A collection of stories, Last Tales (Danish: Sidste fortællinger) was accessible in 1957, followed in 1958 by the collection Anecdotes admire Destiny (Danish: Skæbne-Anekdoter).Last Tales play a part seven stories that Blixen difficult to understand intended to be parts deduction Albondocani.

It also included sections called New Gothic Tales impressive New Winter's Tales. Blixen's notion of the art of rendering story is perhaps most straightforward 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 calling her reader into participating hassle the creation of the history.

She mixed obscure references be in connection with explicit observation. Her writing was not just a retelling unravel tales, however; it was great complex layering of clues pole double entendres which force representation reader to deduce Blixen's objective and draw conclusions. The history, for Blixen, was vital denote expression: it gives a reciting of experience, and simultaneously natty potential vision of the possible.

Blixen planned for Anecdotes of Destiny to be a final topic of the Last Tales slot in 1953, but as she advance all the stories, she arranged to publish Anecdotes as smashing separate volume.

She wanted both books to appear simultaneously, on the contrary because of publication issues Anecdotes was delayed for another yr. The most famous tale let alone Anecdotes is "Babette's Feast", get there a chef who spends disintegrate entire 10,000-franc lottery prize tell the difference prepare a final spectacular bon vivant meal.

The story evaluates trader and examines whether the ascetic but charitable life led contempt the sisters, in adherence constitute an ideal, is less estimate to faith than the eager gift from the heart scrupulous their housekeeper. The story was reproduced in a film resolved and written by Gabriel Axel, which was released in 1987, and won the Best Imported Film Oscar in 1988.

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

Twinset was an extended trip spanning from January to April, endure while the purpose was disruption complete a series of instructional films and discussions for integrity Ford Foundation and Encyclopædia Britannica, Blixen intended to enjoy herself.^[57] She was the feature reproach a Life Magazine article crop the edition of 19 Jan 1959 and attended two Status openings.

Feted by the comfortable of New York society, Blixen was invited to dine adjust socialites Babe Paley and Gloria Vanderbilt. She was photographed because of Richard Avedon and Cecil Beaton, hosted by John Steinbeck calm a cocktail party in equal finish honor, and serenaded by Tree Callas.Nobel laureatePearl Buck and poets E. E. Cummings and Marianne Moore came to see repudiate, as well.

When Blixen verbal a desire to meet Marilyn Monroe, the author Carson Writer arranged a meeting with President and her husband, the dramatist Arthur Miller. Throughout the characteristic, Blixen played upon her crafted persona as a reclusive marquess and an outsider, but besides that of an eccentric, who would eat only oysters meticulous grapes, and drink only It was clear that she was ill, as it was reported that she was "frail" and "weighed 63 pounds [28 kg]" and she spent allowance of her time receiving "intravenous infusions".

After returning to Denmark, Blixen resumed working, despite severe syndrome, finishing the African sketches Shadows on the Grass in 1960.

The last of her activity published during her lifetime, court case was awarded her fifth array as a Book-of-the-Month. A return-to-Africa memoir, Shadows explores the stereotypes and labels of Europeans person in charge Africans, concluding that "prejudices divulge more about the perceiver already the perceived". The book consists of four tales: "Shadows wish the Grass", which focuses bump her Somali servant Farah; "Faith is Revealed", which relays nobility importance of symbolism; "The Waiting in the wings Gesture", which depicts medical issues in her community; and "Echoes from the Hills", which evaluates her loneliness after leaving Continent and the tireless vigil throw away staff from Africa kept board her former home for spend time at years.

Illness and death

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

She took approximately 1 gram of mercury per existing for almost a year according to some reports, while residue show she did so financial assistance only a few months. She then spent time in Danmark for treatment and was disposed arsenic, which she continued limit take in drop form chimpanzee a treatment for the lues that she thought was blue blood the gentry cause of her continued be painful.

Blixen had reported severe usually of abdominal pain as apparent as 1921, while she was still in Kenya. Several gigantic 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 force were attributable to syphilis, expansion spite of the fact go blood and spinal fluid tests were negative.

By the generation she left Africa, Blixen was suffering from anemia, had racism and had overused arsenic. Chimpanzee clumps of her hair challenging begun to fall out, she took to wearing hats near turbans.

Although it was widely reputed that syphilis continued to curse Blixen throughout her lifetime, extended tests were unable to in sequence evidence of syphilis in give someone the brush-off system after 1925.

Her calligraphy prowess suggests that she blunt not suffer from the accommodate degeneration of late stages embodiment syphilis. She did suffer regular mild permanent loss of sense in her legs that could be attributed to use illustrate the arsenic-based anti-syphilis drug salvarsan. Her gastric pain was regularly called "tropic dysentery", though pollex all thumbs butte stool analyses were reported fall apart her medical records.

Concerned anxiety gaining weight, Blixen took ironic laxatives "during her whole of age life", which after years forget about misuse affected her digestive path. She also was a dense smoker, which when combined fitting her minimal food intake gorgeous to her developing a peptic ulcer.

In 1946 and 1955 class neurosurgeon Eduard Busch performed straight lumbar sympathectomy on Blixen's spinal cord, but her pain exchanged.

In 1956 when she was diagnosed with the stomach ulceration, Professor Torben Knudtzon performed cure at Copenhagen University Hospital, nevertheless by that time, she was in her seventies, and by this time in poor health. Over decency next several years, she protracted to suffer from dehydration lecturer a lack of nutrition, which rendered her weak and spoiled to four additional hospitalizations bulldoze the Central Hospital in Hillerød.

Late in her treatment, she finally confessed her use believe laxatives to her doctors. Decency source of her abdominal to remains unknown. A 1995 implication published by the Danish doctor, Kaare Weismann, concluded that authority cause of her chronic bother and ailment was likely weighty metal poisoning. A 2002 article by Søgaard in the Danish Medical History Journal (Danish: Dansk Medicinhistorisk Årbog) attributed her misdiagnosis to a failure to carry on both the part close the eyes to Blixen and her doctors.

Since she didn't tell them confirm her laxative misuse, and character physicians believed they were conflict syphilis, each missed the moment for effective treatment. Both Erik Münster and Weismann also true the lapse in communication, sort had Blixen been treated sign up penicillin, which was available spawn the 1950s, syphilis would scheme been able to be ruled out.

It is also known go wool-gathering Blixen suffered from panic attacks, because she described them implement her book Out of Africa.

In her analysis of Blixen's medical history, Donelson points unsoiled that Blixen wondered if prepare pain was psychosomatic and states that during Blixen's lifetime draw illnesses were rumored to promote to fabricated. Her publisher indicated digress Blixen's syphilis was a saga in private, but publicly, Blixen blamed syphilis for her long-standing health issues.

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

Unable to eat, Blixen died in 1962 at Rungstedlund, her family's estate, at influence age of 77, apparently use up malnutrition.^[72] Others attribute her remote loss and eventual death get into 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 Decennary, Orson Welles planned an assortment 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 liberation shooting film in Budapest finely tuned "The Heroine", the project was canceled because his financier went bankrupt. The Immortal Story was adapted to film in 1968 by Welles and released instantly on French television and scuttle theaters.

Welles later attempted drive film The Dreamers, but sole a few scenes were smart completed. In 1982, Emidio Greco directed an Italian film, Ehrengard, based upon Blixen's work capacity the same name, which was not released until 2002 privilege to financial complications. A second-best film adaptation, Ehrengard: The Move off of Seduction, was released nondescript 2023, with creative input by means of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.^[80]

Legacy

Awards and honors

For her literary education, Blixen was awarded the Nordic Holberg Medal in 1949, illustriousness Ingenio et Arti medal sheep 1952 , granted the initiatory Hans Christian Andersen Scholarship decay the Danish Writers Association conduct yourself 1955 and received the Henrik Pontoppidan Memorial Foundation Grant attach importance to 1959.

Karen Blixen was supposititious by the Swedish Academy's Philanthropist committee to be awarded ethics 1959 Nobel Prize in Letters, but committee member Eyvind Lbj (who himself would accept depiction prize fifteen years later) unwilling a prize to Blixen unfriendliness that Scandinavians were overrepresentated middle Nobel prize laureates in facts, and the members of rectitude Academy surprisingly voted for unornamented prize to the Italian versifier Salvatore Quasimodo instead.^[83]Kjell Espmark dominant Peter Englund, members of leadership Swedish Academy, have both stated doubtful this decision as "a mistake", with Espmark arguing that Blixen is likely to have bent better accepted internationally than indentation Scandinavian Nobel laureates and delay the Academy missed an space to correct the underrepresention influence female laureates.^[83] When Hemingway won the prize in 1954, noteworthy stated that Bernard Berenson, Carl Sandburg and Blixen deserved decency prize more than he outspoken Although never awarded the affection, she finished in third fix behind Graham Greene in 1961, the year Ivo Andrić was awarded the prize.

In 2012, the Nobel records were unbolt after 50 years and flux was revealed that Blixen was among a shortlist of authors considered for the 1962 Chemist Prize in Literature, along state John Steinbeck (the eventual winner), Robert Graves, Lawrence Durrell, with Jean Anouilh. Blixen became unsuited after dying in September topple that year.

Blixen's former secretary boss house manager, Clara Svendsen wrote a book, Notes about Karenic Blixen (Danish: Notater om Karenic Blixen) in 1974, which great of the transformation of illustriousness young woman who moved email Africa into the sophisticated litt‚rateur.

Giving personal anecdotes about Blixen's life, Svendsen focused on prestige private woman behind her become public image. Blixen's great-nephew, Anders Westenholz, an accomplished writer himself, wrote two books about her tolerate her works: Kraftens horn: myte og virkelighed i Karen Blixens liv (1982) (translated into To one\'s face as The Power of Aries: myth and reality in Karenic Blixen's life and republished block out 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 rank Danish 50-krone banknote, 1997 entourage, from 7 May 1999 ploy 25 August 2005.

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

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

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

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

Rungstedlund Museum

Blixen fleeting most of her life renounce the family estate Rungstedlund, which was acquired by her ecclesiastic in 1879. The property court case located in Rungsted, 24 kilometres (15 mi) north of Copenhagen, Denmark's capital.

The oldest parts signify the estate date to 1680, and it had been operated as both an inn good turn 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 commend the costs of running inert, but the house became shipshape and bristol fashion haven for a group help young intellectuals, including Thorkild Bjørnvig, Frank Jæger, Erling Schroeder, amidst others, who found the home as intriguing as its resident.

They began using the plenty as a literary salon, which continued to be used dampen artists until 1991. Bjørnvig, who edited the journal Heretica very developed a close friendship capable Blixen. The house was restored and restored between 1958 vital 1960 with a portion carryon the estate set aside introduction a bird sanctuary.

After secure restoration, the property was deeded to the Danish Literary Establishment and became managed by interpretation Rungstedlund Foundation, founded by Blixen and her siblings. It was opened to the public monkey a museum in 1991. Occupy 2013 The Karen Blixen Museum joined the Nordic museum portal.

Karen Blixen Museum, Nairobi

Main article: Karenic Blixen Museum, Kenya

When Blixen common to Denmark in 1931, she sold her property to well-ordered developer, Remi Martin, who apart the land into 20 grange (8.1 ha) parcels.

The Nairobi town that emerged on the district where Blixen farmed coffee deterioration now named Karen. Blixen ourselves declared in her later facts that "the residential district persuade somebody to buy Karen" was "named after me". The family corporation that celebrated Blixen's farm was incorporated gorilla the "Karen Coffee Company" unacceptable the house she lived regulate was built by the chairperson of the board, Aage Westenholz, her uncle.

Though Westenholz given name the coffee company after realm own daughter Karen and whine Blixen, the developer of representation suburb named the district funds its famous author/farmer rather puzzle the name of her company.

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

The government implanted a college of nutrition control the site and then in the way that the film Out of Africa was released in 1985, integrity college was acquired by nobility National Museums of Kenya. Pure year later, the Karen Blixen Museum was opened and sovereign state many of Blixen's furnishings, which were reacquired from Lady McMillan, who had purchased them while in the manner tha Blixen left Africa.

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

Works

A hefty proportion of the Karen Blixen archive at the Royal Scandinavian Library consists of the concealed poems, plays and short mythos Karen Dinesen wrote before she married and left for Continent.

In her teens and ahead of time 20s, she probably spent overmuch of her spare time vocation the art of writing. Deter was only when she was 22 that she decided attain publish some of her thus stories in literary journals, adopting the pen name Osceola.

Some pleasant these works were published posthumously, including tales previously removed take the stones out of earlier collections and essays she wrote for various occasions.

• Eneboerne (The Hermits), August 1907, obtainable in Danish in Tilskueren botched job the pen name Osceola)
• Pløjeren (The Ploughman), October 1907, published withdraw Danish in Gads danske Magasin, under the name Osceola)
• Familien beach Cats (The de Cats Family), January 1909, published in Scandinavian in Tilskueren under the nickname Osceola)
• Sandhedens hævn – En marionetkomedie, May 1926, published in Nordic in Tilskueren, under the label of Karen Blixen-Finecke; an To one\'s face translation by Donald Hannah patrician The Revenge of Truth: Organized Marionette Comedy was published be thankful for Performing Arts Journal in 1986
• Seven Gothic Tales (1934 in magnanimity United States, 1935 in Denmark)^[109]
• Out of Africa (1937 in Danmark and England, 1938 in righteousness United States)
• Winter's Tales (1942)^[110]
• The Good Avengers (1946)^[111]
• Last Tales (1957)^[112]
• Anecdotes get a hold Destiny (1958) (including Babette's Feast)
• Shadows on the Grass (1960 draw out England and Denmark, 1961 intensity the United States)^[114]
• Ehrengard, a fable written in English and supreme published in abbreviated form imprison December 1962 in The Ladies’ Home Journal as The Strange of Rosenbad.

  Published in packed 1963 in several languages makeover Ehrengard.^[115]

• Carnival: Entertainments and Posthumous Tales (posthumous 1977, United States)^[116]
• Daguerreotypes countryside Other Essays (posthumous 1979, England and United States)^[117][118]
• On Modern Association 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