2017 Johan de Mylius

As a professor and previous head of the Hans Christian Andersen Centre at the University of Southern Denmark and especially for his pioneering contributions and works into Hans Christian Andersen he has enhanced a much deeper understanding of the works of the national poet of Denmark nationally and internationally, among researchers and in the general public. Thanks to his efforts the traditional image of Hans Christian Andersen as a poet of children’s fairy tales has be demystified in favor of a solid anchoring in the development of our modern literature.

His latest book, Livet og Skriften, is a true opus magnum and can be viewed as a summary of his life’s work. The title itself, The Life and The Scripture, is a fitting motto for a researcher, who has dedicated his own life to the service of the scriptures of Hans Christian Andersen.