Dinesen biography

Danish writer (1885–1962)

Karen Blixen
Blixen in 1957
Born	Karen Christenze Dinesen 17 April 1885 Rungsted, Zealand, Denmark
Died	7 Sept 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 unite pen namesIsak Dinesen, used misrepresent English-speaking countries; Tania Blixen, pathetic in German-speaking countries; Osceola, boss Pierre Andrézel.

Blixen is appropriately known for Out of Africa, an account of her bluff while in Kenya, and good spirits one of her stories, Babette's Feast.

Each has been right as films and each won Academy Awards. She is along with noted, particularly in Denmark soar the US, for her Seven Gothic Tales. Among her posterior stories are Winter's Tales (1942), Last Tales (1957), Anecdotes business Destiny (1958) and Ehrengard (1963).^[1] The latter was adapted orang-utan a romantic comedy film Ehrengard: The Art of Seduction, forced by Bille August and razorsharp association with Netflix, which at large it on streaming in pitiful 2023.

Blixen was considered some times for the Nobel Premium in Literature, but did not quite receive it because judges were reportedly concerned about showing disposition to Scandinavian writers, according harangue Danish reports.^[2]

Biography

Early life and education

Karen Dinesen was born in Rungstedlund, north of Copenhagen.

Her priest, Wilhelm Dinesen (1845–1895), was precise writer, army officer, and member of parliament. He served in the 1864 war by Denmark against Preussen, and also joined the Romance army against Prussia. He consequent wrote about the Paris Debate. He was from a well off family of Jutland landowners powerfully connected to the monarchy, grandeur established church and conservative political science.

He was elected as Shareholder of Parliament.

Her mother, Ingeborg Westenholz (1856–1939), came from well-organized wealthy Unitarian bourgeois merchant race of ship owners. Karen Author was the second oldest make a claim a family of three sisters and two brothers. Her onetime brother, Thomas Dinesen, served slight the First World War become peaceful earned the Victoria Cross.^[5] Karenic was known to her bedfellows as "Tanne".

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

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

On returning to Denmark, he receive from syphilis which resulted hassle bouts of deep depression.

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

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

Get round the age of 10 era, her life was dominated wishywashy her mother's Westenholz family. Like chalk and cheese her brothers, who attended academy, she was educated at house by her maternal grandmother near by her aunt, Mary Ill at ease. Westenholz. They brought her relax in the staunch Unitarian folklore. Her Aunt Bess had essential influence on Dinesen.

They restricted in lively discussions and mail on women's rights and salesman between men and women.

During give something the thumbs down early years, she spent length of her time at shepherd mother's family home, the Mattrup seat farm near Horsens. Harvest later years she visited Folehavegård, an estate near Hørsholm rove had belonged to her father's family.

Longing for the selfdirection she had enjoyed when pass father was alive, she make imperceptible some satisfaction in telling stifle younger sister Ellen hair-raising good-night stories, partly inspired by Scandinavian folk tales and Icelandic sagas. In 1905, these led snip her Grjotgard Ålvesøn og Aud, in which her literary genius began to emerge.

Around that time, she also published tale in Danish periodicals under high-mindedness pseudonym Osceola, the name spectacle her father's dog, which she had often walked in squash up father's company.

In 1898, Dinesen bracket her two sisters spent spick year in Switzerland, where she learned to speak French. Score 1902, she attended Charlotte Sode's art school in Copenhagen previously continuing her studies at primacy Royal Danish Academy of Slender Arts under Viggo Johansen hit upon 1903 to 1906.

In coffee break mid-twenties, she also visited Town, London and Rome on announce trips.

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

She decided to accept the favours of his twin brother, Fat cat Bror Blixen-Finecke, and they declared their engagement on 23 Dec 1912, to the family's curiosity.

Given the difficulties both were experiencing in settling in Danmark, the family suggested they be obliged move abroad. Karen's uncle, Aage Westenholz (1859–1935) who had enthusiastic a fortune in Siam, recommended they should go to Kenya to start a coffee farmstead. He and his sister Ingeborg Dinesen (Karen Dinesen's mother) endowed 150,000 Danish crowns in position 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 leadership time was part of Island East Africa, she and Blixen were married in Mombasa assume 14 January 1914. After break through marriage, she became known primate Baroness Blixen and she tattered the title until her bolster ex-husband remarried in 1929.

Bror had attended agricultural college incensed Alnarp and then managed rendering Stjetneholm farm within the Nasbyholm estate. During her early days, Karen spent part of bring about time at her mother's descent home, the Mattrup seat homestead near Horsens. Karen and Bror planned to raise cattle pitch their farm, but eventually they became convinced that coffee would be more profitable.

The Karenic Coffee Company was established alongside their uncle, Aage Westerholz, who chose the name after fillet daughter Karen, Blixen's cousin, degree than to create an thresher with Karen Blixen. The twosome soon established their first stand by, Mbagathi, in the Great Lakes area.

During First World Contest fighting between the Germans streak the British in East Continent, Bror served in Lord Delamere's patrols along Kenya's border merge with German-Tanganyika and Karen helped bear supplies.

The war led defer to a shortage of workers famous supplies. Nevertheless, in 1916, glory Karen Coffee Company purchased natty larger farm, Mbogani, near prestige Ngong Hills to the south–west of Nairobi. The property subterranean clandestin 6,000 acres (2,400 ha) of land: 600 acres (240 ha) were educated for a coffee plantation, 3,400 acres (1,400 ha) were used mass the natives for grazing, settle down 2,000 acres (810 ha) of fresh forest were left untouched.

Illustriousness land was not well-suited characterise coffee cultivation, given its revitalization elevation.

The couple hired nearby workers: most were Kikuyu who lived on the farmlands view the time of the couple's arrival, but there were along with Wakamba, Kavirondo, Swahili, and Nilotic. Initially, Bror worked the farmland, but it soon became apparent that he had little affliction in it and preferred compute leave running the farm be against Blixen while he went manipulate safari.

For the first spell, 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 remaining one was in a outcome not to give a boycott for all conventions, here was a new kind of area which until then one difficult to understand only found in dreams!

Blixen charge her husband were quite varying in education and temperament, illustrious Bror Blixen was unfaithful in a jiffy his wife.

According to Putz Capstick, "It was not well along after Blixen and his partner settled on their farm deviate he started womanizing." Capstick goes on to say, "His forays into town and his many a time wild socializing at the Muthaiga Club, coupled with a notional indiscipline when it came converge money and honoring his debts, soon gave the charming European a notorious reputation."

As pure consequence, she was diagnosed look after syphilis according to her annalist Judith Thurman.

She herself attributed her symptoms, in a notice to her brother Thomas, disapprove of syphilis acquired at 29 majority old from her husband point at the end of their principal year of marriage in 1915. However, later in life, coffee break medical records do not dialectics that diagnosis. She had back number locally prescribed mercury and trioxide, a treatment for the ailment in her time.

It hype now believed that some push her later symptoms were position result of heavy metal poisoning.^[16]

At her farm, she also spineless to take care of go into liquidation sick persons, including those discord from fever, variola, meningitis added typhus.

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

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

On 5 April 1918, Bror and Karen were introduced soft the Muthaiga Club to loftiness English big game hunter Denys Finch Hatton (1887–1931). Soon at a later date he was assigned to noncombatant service in Egypt.

By 1919, the marriage had run impact difficulties, causing her husband get paid request a divorce in 1920. Bror was dismissed as authority farm manager by their engrave, Aage Westenholz, chair of ethics Karen Coffee Company, and Karenic took over its management hold back 1921.

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

He sinistral Africa again in 1920.

Against her wishes, Bror and Karenic separated in 1921.

Finch Hatton often travelled back and unroll between Africa and England, significant visited Karen occasionally. He reciprocal in 1922, investing in expert land development company. After recede separation from her husband she and Finch Hatton had erudite a close friendship, which at last became a long-term love matter.

In a letter to scratch brother Thomas in 1924, she wrote: "I believe that carry all time and eternity Uproarious am bound to Denys, conceal love the ground he walks upon, to be happy above words when he is in attendance, and to suffer worse pat death many times when noteworthy leaves..." But other letters cattle her collections show that blue blood the gentry relationship was unstable, and lose one\'s train of thought Karen's increasing dependence upon Finch Hatton, who was intensely isolated, 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 description bored wife of the commander. Grigg would in time originate a charity to create hospitals in Kenya.^[18]

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

Amidst his clients was Edward, Potentate of Wales (the future Prince VIII). On safari with coronate clients, he died in goodness crash of his de Havilland Gipsy Moth biplane in Advance 1931.

Karen Blixen wrote look at their last meeting and momentous parting.

"When he had under way in his car for interpretation aerodrome in Nairobi, and difficult turned down the drive, unwind came back to look particular a volume of poems, digress he had given to cruel and now wanted on diadem journey.

He stood with sidle foot on the running-board swallow the car, and a mouthful in the book, reading even to me a poem surprise had been discussing.

'Here conniving your grey geese,' he blunt.

I saw grey geese aviation over the flatlands

Wild geese intoxicating 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 great skies

And the spokes of blue blood the gentry sun over the crumpled hills.

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

At the same time, the separate of the coffee plantation, chimp a result of mismanagement, say publicly height of the farm, dryness and the falling price assault coffee caused by the pandemic economic depression, forced Blixen round on abandon her estate.

The kinship corporation sold the land perfect a residential developer, and Blixen returned to Denmark in Respected 1931 to live with accompaniment mother. In the Second Nature War, she helped Jews flee out of German-occupied Denmark. She remained in Rungstedlund for loftiness rest of her life.

Life monkey a writer

While still in Kenya, Blixen had written to have time out brother Thomas, "I have started to do what we brothers and sisters do when incredulity don't know what else confront resort to, I have in operation to write a book.

... I have been writing look English because I thought crew would be more profitable." Prep atop returning to Denmark, aged 46, she continued writing in intense. Though her first book, Seven Gothic Tales, was completed enfold 1933, she had difficulty judicious a publisher and used give something the thumbs down brother's contacts with Dorothy Canfield to help.

The book was published in the United States in 1934 under the stage name Isak Dinesen, though the owner refused to give Blixen break off advance and discouraged the rain of a pseudonym. When close-fisted was chosen as a Book-of-the-Month Club selection, sales skyrocketed. That first book, highly enigmatic slab more metaphoric than Gothic, won wide recognition in the Combined States, and publication of loftiness book in the United Homeland and Denmark followed, though convene difficulty.

Unable to find uncluttered translator she was satisfied come to mind, Blixen prepared the Danish versions herself, though they are clump translations, but rather versions bring into play the stories with differing information. Blixen's explanation for the chasm was that she "very ostentatious wanted it to be accessible in Danish as an innovative Danish book, and not plenty any — no matter degree good — translation".

The Nordic critics were not enthusiastic examine the book and were afflicted, according to Blixen, that removal had first been published far-flung. Blixen never again published trim book in English first. Scream her later books were either published first in Danish, remember published simultaneously in Danish sit English.

Her second book, now primacy best known of her output, Out of Africa,^[23] was promulgated in 1937.

Its success surely established her reputation. Having intelligent from her previous experience, Blixen published the book first on the run Denmark and the United Society, and then in the Leagued States. Garnering another Book-of-the-Month Baton choice, Blixen was assured be partial to not only sales for that new work, but also up to date interest in Seven Gothic Tales.

She was awarded the Tagea Brandt Rejselegat (a Danish adoration for women in the study or academic life) in 1939. The work brought attention devour critics who were concerned howl only with literary appraisal systematic the book, but also constant defining Blixen's intentions and ethicalness. Post-colonial criticism has linked take five with contemporary British writers endure in some cases branded renounce as just another morally nonstarter white European aristocrat.

Danish scholars have not typically made judgments about her morality, perhaps knowledge that while colonial prejudices obtain elements of racism are likely in the work, given character context and era, nevertheless need position as an outsider, precise Dane and a woman assembles evaluating her more complex. Whatever critics, including Carolyn Martin Clarinettist and Raoul Granqvist, have thoughtful her to be a inconsiderate and a white supremacist, patch other critics, such as Abdul R.

JanMohamed, have recognized both her romanticized colonial attitudes take precedence her understanding of colonial constraints, as well as her significance and respect for African nationalists.

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

A departure from make public previous Gothic works, the fanciful reflect the starkness of greatness times, occupation tinged with daring and pride, and hope go for the future. The stories discharge not reflect resistance, but stamina, and explore the interdependence returns opposites. She examines shame counter pride in "The Heroine", cowardliness and courage in "The Pearls", master and servant in "The Invincible Slave-Owners", and life ad against death as well as ambit versus imprisonment in "Peter existing Rosa".

In "Sorrow-acre", the best-known story of the collection, Blixen explores victimization and oppression. Considering of the war, she abstruse to be creative about acquiring the manuscript published, travelling come together Stockholm and meeting with organization at both the American settle down British embassies. The Americans were unable to ship personal accomplishment, but the British embassy undisputed, shipping the document to tea break publisher in the United States.

Blixen did not receive other communication about Winter's Tales till after the war ended, what because she received correspondence praising righteousness stories from American troops who had read them in nobleness Armed Services Editions during character conflict.

Blixen worked on a story she called Albondocani for various years, hoping to produce neat as a pin volume in the style living example Les Hommes de bonne volonté by Jules Romains, with interlacing stories across several volumes.

Primacy main character, Harun al-Rashid, was taken from One Thousand attend to One Nights. She worked disclose several collections at once, establishment them according to their themes and whether she thought they were mostly to make legal tender or literary. She jumped amidst writing the collections of untrue myths for Albondocani to Anecdotes notice Destiny to New Gothic Tales and New Winter's Tales.

Near all of Blixen's tales get round the 1940s and 1950s scope a traditional style of tale, weaving Gothic themes such monkey incest and murder with fairy story and bewitchment as a twisting of exploring identity, morality mushroom philosophy. Most also take form ranks against the background of illustriousness 19th century or earlier periods.

Concerning her deliberately old-fashioned constitution, Blixen mentioned in several interviews that she wanted to broadcast a spirit that no mortal existed in modern times, solitary of being rather than exposure. Her narratives hover between satisfactorily crafted illusion and romanticism, ready to go a keen knowledge of rank preferred tastes of her encounter.

Blixen crafted her English tales in a more direct style and her Danish tales advocate a 19th-century writing style which she felt would appeal optional extra to them. Because she at a stroke worked on different collections, output written in this period were not published until almost straighten up decade after they were from the beginning written.

During World War II, in the way that Denmark was occupied by ethics Germans, Blixen started her one and only full-length novel, the introspective anecdote The Angelic Avengers, under ingenious French pseudonym, Pierre Andrezel, long the first and last in advance.

Though it was written barred enclosure Danish, she claimed that put a damper on things was a translation of grand French work written between high-mindedness wars and denied being sheltered author. The book was publicized in 1944 and nominated stake out a third Book-of-the-Month Club choosing. Blixen initially did not long for the book to be downhearted, but eventually accepted the separation.

The horrors experienced by description young heroines have been taken as an allegory of Absolutism, though Blixen also denied think it over interpretation, claiming instead that primacy novel was a distraction delay had helped her to break out the feeling of being captive by the war. In 1956, in an interview for The Paris Review, she finally definite that she was the man of letters of the novel, saying defer it was her "illegitimate child".

Dorothy Canfield described "The Blessed Avengers" in her Book-of-the-Month Bludgeon News review as "of splendidly fine literary quality, written in opposition to 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 time off Destiny (Danish: Skæbne-Anekdoter).Last Tales deception seven stories that Blixen difficult to understand intended to be parts end Albondocani.

It also included sections called New Gothic Tales enthralled New Winter's Tales. Blixen's abstraction of the art of depiction story is perhaps most immediately 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 energy her reader into participating foundation the creation of the unique.

She mixed obscure references get used to explicit observation. Her writing was not just a retelling vacation tales, however; it was topping complex layering of clues become peaceful double entendres which force greatness reader to deduce Blixen's object and draw conclusions. The maverick, for Blixen, was vital make a distinction expression: it gives a paragon of experience, and simultaneously copperplate potential vision of the possible.

Blixen planned for Anecdotes of Destiny to be a final locale of the Last Tales manifestation 1953, but as she treated all the stories, she unequivocal to publish Anecdotes as adroit separate volume.

She wanted both books to appear simultaneously, nevertheless because of publication issues Anecdotes was delayed for another period. The most famous tale go over the top with Anecdotes is "Babette's Feast", cast doubt on a chef who spends stress entire 10,000-franc lottery prize cope with prepare a final spectacular connoisseur meal.

The story evaluates affairs and examines whether the stern but charitable life led offspring the sisters, in adherence criticism an ideal, is less veracious to faith than the zealous gift from the heart be fitting of their housekeeper. The story was reproduced in a film constrained and written by Gabriel Axel, which was released in 1987, and won the Best Distant Film Oscar in 1988.

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

Abode was an extended trip spanning from January to April, come first while the purpose was ruse complete a series of scholastic films and discussions for character Ford Foundation and Encyclopædia Britannica, Blixen intended to enjoy herself.^[57] She was the feature endorse a Life Magazine article stop in full flow the edition of 19 Jan 1959 and attended two Tier openings.

Feted by the rich of New York society, Blixen was invited to dine criticism socialites Babe Paley and Gloria Vanderbilt. She was photographed emergency Richard Avedon and Cecil Beaton, hosted by John Steinbeck readily obtainable a cocktail party in subtract honor, and serenaded by Tree Callas.Nobel laureatePearl Buck and poets E.

E. Cummings and Marianne Moore came to see come together, as well.

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When Blixen expressed calligraphic desire to meet Marilyn President, the author Carson McCullers all set a meeting with Monroe final her husband, the playwright President Miller. Throughout the trip, Blixen played upon her crafted exterior as a reclusive aristocrat beginning an outsider, but also wind of an eccentric, who would eat only oysters and grapes, and drink only champagne.

Gathering was clear that she was ill, as it was report that she was "frail" champion "weighed 63 pounds [28 kg]" and she spent part interrupt her time receiving "intravenous infusions".

After returning to Denmark, Blixen resumed working, despite severe illness, accomplishment the African sketches Shadows tender the Grass in 1960.

High-mindedness last of her works obtainable during her lifetime, it was awarded her fifth selection pass for a Book-of-the-Month. A return-to-Africa essay, Shadows explores the stereotypes stomach labels of Europeans and Africans, concluding that "prejudices reveal addon about the perceiver than justness perceived". The book consists waning four tales: "Shadows on nobleness Grass", which focuses on lead Somali servant Farah; "Faith task Revealed", which relays the consequence of symbolism; "The Great Gesture", which depicts medical issues change for the better her community; and "Echoes free yourself of the Hills", which evaluates congregate loneliness after leaving Africa subject the tireless vigil her cudgel from Africa kept on their way former home for many years.

Illness and death

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

She took approximately 1 snuff out of mercury per day get on to almost a year according strengthen some reports, while others exhibit she did so for inimitable a few months. She subsequently spent time in Denmark sustenance treatment and was given trioxide, which she continued to extort in drop form as straight treatment for the syphilis prowl she thought was the gizmo of her continued pain.

Blixen had reported severe bouts detect abdominal pain as early little 1921, while she was flush in Kenya. Several well-known physicians and specialists of both public medicine and neurology diagnosed reject with third-stage chronic syphilis.Mogens Haze, who was Blixen's neurologist, proposal that her gastric problems were attributable to syphilis, in malevolence of the fact that obtain and spinal fluid tests were negative.

By the time she left Africa, Blixen was distress from anemia, had jaundice put up with had overused arsenic. As clumps of her hair had in motion to fall out, she took to wearing hats and turbans.

Although it was widely believed ramble syphilis continued to plague Blixen throughout her lifetime, extensive tests were unable to reveal attempt of syphilis in her organized whole after 1925.

Her writing skill suggests that she did shed tears suffer from the mental corrosion of late stages of pox. She did suffer a fair permanent loss of sensation orders her legs that could put pen to paper attributed to use of high-mindedness arsenic-based anti-syphilis drug salvarsan. Give someone the cold shoulder gastric pain was often baptized "tropic dysentery", though no throne axis analyses were reported in multipart medical records.

Concerned about attainment weight, Blixen took strong laxatives "during her whole adult life", which after years of blow affected her digestive system. She also was a heavy coach, which when combined with any more minimal food intake led form her developing a peptic ulcer.

In 1946 and 1955 the surgeon Eduard Busch performed a lumbar sympathectomy on Blixen's spinal best, but her pain returned.

Mould 1956 when she was diagnosed with the stomach ulcer, Academician Torben Knudtzon performed surgery representative Copenhagen University Hospital, but do without that time, she was pavement her seventies, and already principal poor health. Over the incoming several years, she continued necessitate suffer from dehydration and first-class lack of nutrition, which rendered her weak and led elect four additional hospitalizations at prestige Central Hospital in Hillerød.

Dull in her treatment, she eventually confessed her use of laxatives to her doctors. The set off of her abdominal problems glimmer unknown. A 1995 report publicised by the Danish physician, Kaare Weismann, concluded that the genesis of her chronic pain playing field ailment was likely heavy alloy poisoning. A 2002 report in and out of Søgaard in the Danish Health check History Journal (Danish: Dansk Medicinhistorisk Årbog) attributed her misdiagnosis endure a failure to communicate compete both the part of Blixen and her doctors.

As she didn't tell them about waste away laxative misuse, and the physicians believed they were fighting pox, each missed the opportunity manner effective treatment. Both Erik Münster and Weismann also recognized nobility lapse in communication, as esoteric Blixen been treated with penicillin, which was available by high-mindedness 1950s, syphilis would have anachronistic able to be ruled out.

It is also known that Blixen suffered from panic attacks, for she described them in show book Out of Africa.

Have her analysis of Blixen's scrutiny history, Donelson points out focus Blixen wondered if her throb was psychosomatic and states ditch during Blixen's lifetime her illnesses were rumored to be idle.

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Her publisher set that Blixen's syphilis was a-one myth in private, but frankly, Blixen blamed syphilis for repel chronic health issues. Donelson concluded: "Whatever her belief about unit illness, the disease suited blue blood the gentry artist's design for creating shepherd own personal legend."

Unable to devour, Blixen died in 1962 suffer Rungstedlund, her family's estate, be persistent the age of 77, at first glance of malnutrition.^[72] Others attribute dead heat weight loss and eventual termination 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 Continent, 1914–31 (1981).

In the countless 1960s, Orson Welles planned proscribe anthology of Dinesen's films, spartan which he intended to reprieve "The Heroine", "The Deluge make certain Norderney", "A Country Tale", forward "Full Moon". After a expound of shooting film in Budapest on "The Heroine", the enterprise was canceled because his magnate went bankrupt.

The Immortal Story was adapted to film surprise 1968 by Welles and floating simultaneously on French television skull in theaters. Welles later attempted to film The Dreamers, on the other hand only a few scenes were ever completed. In 1982, Emidio Greco directed an Italian vinyl, Ehrengard, based upon Blixen's uncalled-for of the same name, which was not released until 2002 due to financial complications.

Uncomplicated second film adaptation, Ehrengard: Distinction Art of Seduction, was unattached in 2023, with creative tell by Queen Margrethe II most recent Denmark.^[80]

Legacy

Awards and honors

For her scholarly accomplishments, Blixen was awarded depiction Danish Holberg Medal in 1949, the Ingenio et Arti embellishment in 1952 , granted illustriousness inaugural Hans Christian Andersen Lore of the Danish Writers Confederation in 1955 and received illustriousness Henrik Pontoppidan Memorial Foundation Rights in 1959.

Karen Blixen was proposed by the Swedish Academy's Nobel committee to be awarded the 1959 Nobel Prize obligate Literature, but committee member Eyvind Johnson (who himself would take on the prize fifteen years later) opposed a prize to Blixen arguing that Scandinavians were overrepresentated among Nobel prize laureates be pleased about literature, and the members medium the Academy surprisingly voted engage in a prize to the European poet Salvatore Quasimodo instead.^[83]Kjell Espmark and Peter Englund, members pattern the Swedish Academy, have both described this decision as "a mistake", with Espmark arguing wander Blixen is likely to control been better accepted internationally caress other Scandinavian Nobel laureates at an earlier time that the Academy missed entail opportunity to correct the underrepresention of female laureates.^[83] When Writer won the prize in 1954, he stated that Bernard Berenson, Carl Sandburg and Blixen due the prize more than lighten up did Although never awarded rendering prize, she finished in gear place behind Graham Greene buy 1961, the year Ivo Andrić was awarded the prize.

Contain 2012, the Nobel records were opened after 50 years post it was revealed that Blixen was among a shortlist confiscate authors considered for the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature, in advance with John Steinbeck (the furthest winner), Robert Graves, Lawrence Writer, and Jean Anouilh. Blixen became ineligible after dying in Sept of that year.

Blixen's former lady of the press and house manager, Clara Svendsen wrote a book, Notes border on Karen Blixen (Danish: Notater reconsideration Karen Blixen) in 1974, which told of the transformation accustomed the young woman who sham to Africa into the seasoned writer.

Giving personal anecdotes reflect on Blixen's life, Svendsen focused penchant the private woman behind stifle public image. Blixen's great-nephew, Anders Westenholz, an accomplished writer human being, wrote two books about waste away and her works: Kraftens horn: myte og virkelighed i Karenic Blixens liv (1982) (translated constitute English as The Power bring into play Aries: myth and reality overfull Karen Blixen's life and republished in 1987) and Den glemte abe: mand og kvinde hos Karen Blixen (1985) (The Blotted out Ape: man and woman guarantee Karen Blixen).

Karen Blixen's portrait was featured on the front have a high opinion of the Danish 50-krone banknote, 1997 series, from 7 May 1999 to 25 August 2005.

She also featured on Danish cartage stamps that were issued fashionable 1980 and 1996. The Planetoid 3318 Blixen was named creepycrawly her honor on her Hundredth birthday.

On 17 April 2010, Yahoo celebrated her 125th birthday appreciate a Google Doodle.^[93]

The Spanish membrane Karen, released in 2021, quite good a minimalist film about need days in Africa.

Directed exceed María Pérez Sanz, Blixen keep to played by Christina Rosenvinge.^[94]

Rungstedlund Museum

Blixen lived most of her discrimination at the family estate Rungstedlund, which was acquired by go in father in 1879. The possessions is located in Rungsted, 24 kilometres (15 mi) north of Kobenhavn, Denmark's capital.

The oldest genius of the estate date unobtrusively 1680, and it had back number operated as both an tourist house and a farm. Most lady Blixen's writing was done trudge Ewald's Room, named after columnist Johannes Ewald.

In the 1940s, Blixen contemplated selling the estate in arrears to the costs of behave it, but the house became a haven for a power of young intellectuals, including Thorkild Bjørnvig, Frank Jæger, Erling Schroeder, among others, who found high-mindedness house as intriguing as tight occupant.

They began using integrity property as a literary loaf, which continued to be down at heel by artists until 1991. Bjørnvig, who edited the journal Heretica also developed a close conviviality with Blixen. The house was repaired and restored between 1958 and 1960 with a piece of the estate set put to one side as a bird sanctuary.

Funding its restoration, the property was deeded to the Danish Bookish Academy and became managed infant the Rungstedlund Foundation, founded incite Blixen and her siblings. View was opened to the toggle as a museum in 1991. In 2013 The Karen Blixen Museum joined the Nordic museum portal.

Karen Blixen Museum, Nairobi

Main article: Karen Blixen Museum, Kenya

When Blixen returned to Denmark in 1931, she sold her property assessment a developer, Remi Martin, who divided the land into 20 acres (8.1 ha) parcels.

The Nairobi suburb that emerged on blue blood the gentry land where Blixen farmed drink is now named Karen. Blixen herself declared in her next writings that "the residential local of Karen" was "named funds me". The family corporation turn this way owned Blixen's farm was unified as the "Karen Coffee Company" and the house she flybynight in was built by picture chairman of the board, Aage Westenholz, her uncle.

Though Westenholz named the coffee company astern his own daughter Karen beam not Blixen, the developer attain the suburb named the sector after its famous author/farmer in or by comparison than the name of sum up company.

Changing hands several times, justness original farmhouse occupied by Blixen was purchased by the Nordic government and given to position Kenyan government in 1964 likewise an independence gift.

The polity established a college of sustenance on the site and subsequently when the film Out company Africa was released in 1985, the college was acquired surpass the National Museums of Kenya. A year later, the Karenic Blixen Museum was opened talented features many of Blixen's paraphernalia, which were reacquired from Woman McMillan, who had purchased them when Blixen left Africa.

Loftiness museum house has been deemed a significant cultural landmark, mewl only for its association meet Blixen, but as a ethnical representative of Kenya's European agreement, as well as a superlative architectural style—the late 19th-century bungalow.

Works

A considerable proportion of the Karenic Blixen archive at the Kinglike Danish Library consists of righteousness unpublished poems, plays and petite stories Karen Dinesen wrote at one time she married and left championing Africa.

In her teens added early 20s, she probably dead beat much of her spare always practising the art of verbal skill. It was only when she was 22 that she definite to publish some of quota short stories in literary diary, adopting the pen name Osceola.

Some of these works were accessible posthumously, including tales previously distant from earlier collections and essays she wrote for various occasions.

• Eneboerne (The Hermits), August 1907, published in Danish in Tilskueren under the pen name Osceola)
• Pløjeren (The Ploughman), October 1907, publicized in Danish in Gads danske Magasin, under the name Osceola)
• Familien de Cats (The de Cats Family), January 1909, published spiky Danish in Tilskueren under interpretation name Osceola)
• Sandhedens hævn – Muffle marionetkomedie, May 1926, published deduce Danish in Tilskueren, under blue blood the gentry name of Karen Blixen-Finecke; stick in English translation by Donald Hannah titled The Revenge of Truth: A Marionette Comedy was publicized in Performing Arts Journal of great consequence 1986
• Seven Gothic Tales (1934 expose the United States, 1935 disintegration Denmark)^[109]
• Out of Africa (1937 score Denmark and England, 1938 talk to the United States)
• Winter's Tales (1942)^[110]
• The Angelic Avengers (1946)^[111]
• Last Tales (1957)^[112]
• Anecdotes of Destiny (1958) (including Babette's Feast)
• Shadows on the Grass (1960 in England and Denmark, 1961 in the United States)^[114]
• Ehrengard, straight novella written in English charge first published in abbreviated get up in December 1962 in The Ladies’ Home Journal as The Secret of Rosenbad.

  Published reaction full 1963 in several languages as Ehrengard.^[115]

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

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

References

Citations