2003 Niels Oxenvad

The Fairy tale of my Life award is ­presented to Niels Oxenvad for his lifetime achievement and for his dedicated work to promote Hans Christian Andersen and to disseminate knowledge of the poet. This includes: many years as curator of the Hans Christian Andersen Museum, during which time he ar­ranged numerous temporary and travel­ling exhibitions on Hans Chris­tian Andersen, both in Denmark and abroad; numerous knowledgeable and dedicated publications and articles on Hans Christian Andersen, of which we will call special attention to the book H.C. Andersen – et liv i billeder; extensive activities as a Hans Christian ­Andersen reader and lecturer; the editor­ship of the Anderseniana yearbook, and his ­activities to support and promote the Hans Christian Andersen Society.
Through his activities and his per­sonal dedication as director of the Hans Christian Andersen Museum, ­Niels Oxenvad has contributed towards­ mak­ing the poet’s museum and Odense widely known. As an editor and author of scholarly essays, Niels Oxenvad is respected and acclaimed by Hans Christian Andersen experts and scholars, both in Denmark and abroad. He still continues his work with Hans Christian Andersen with great dedication. The award presented to him must be seen as a recognition of his great work and as an encouragement to continue his research activities.