HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN (1805–1875); A CELEBRATION AND REAPPRAISAL

A Conference 8 – 10 August 2005 at the British Library Conference Centre, 96 Euston Road London NW1

2005 marks the 200th birthday of Hans Christian Andersen,one of Europe’s finest and most original storytellers. ButAndersen was much more than the author of the fairy talesthat have made his reputation in Britain. As performer, artist,man of letters and celebrity, Andersen did much to shapeVictorian art and literature. His legacy was a new form ofwriting that has influenced authors as various as Lewis Carroll,Oscar Wilde and Philip Pullman.

Organised by the British Library in association with theUniversity of Newcastle and the Institute of English Studies at the University of London, the conference will explore thisenigmatic and contradictory character. Specialists from aroundthe world will gather to offer valuable background and newperspectives on Andersen’s life and work.

SPEAKERS INCLUDE Marina Warner novelist, mythographer and critic. Her works includeFrom the Beast to the Blonde; Six Myths of Our Time and her newnovel Magicians.

Maria Tatar Harvard College Professor and John L. Loeb Professor of Germanic Languages and Literatures.

Johan de Mylius University of Odense and Director of the HansChristian Andersen Research Centre in Copenhagen.

Ruth Bottigheimer State University of New York at Stony Brook.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?The conference will provide valuable background for academics, teachers,librarians and other professionals who will be involved in introducingAndersen to the public in the course of this bicentenary year.Marina Warner’s evening talk on 8 August, ‘Eyes like Carbuncles: TheSpell of Fairytale Now’, will also be open to members of the public.

HANS CHRISTIANANDERSEN20 May – 2 October 2005

A free exhibition for people of all ages in the British Library Pearson Gallery

Our new exhibition aims to reveal theunderlying themes to Andersen’s fiction.Using clues provided by some of his bestknown characters it explores the dark side aswell as the innocence of his vision. See howthe fairy stories reflect Andersen’s true story: ■ The Ugly Duckling and his own life journey■ The Little Mermaid and his interest

in the supernatural and immortality

■ The Little Match Girl and his belief in the innocence of children

■ The Tin Soldier and his feelings about women and the unobtainable

This is a new-style exhibition for the BritishLibrary. Interactive exhibits complement themore traditional historical material to mixword and play, reality and magic. Within asoundscape inspired by Andersen’s stories;puppets, pulleys, projections and paper-cutsbring Andersen’s characters to life. Visitorscan perform their own fairytales, go underwater and find the Snow Queen herself.

Material chosen from the collections of the British Library, as well as items on loanfrom Denmark and beyond, focuses theexhibition on Andersen’s life and receptionin Britain. Original manuscripts and earlyeditions are on show, together with balletcostumes from the Royal Opera House.

The exhibition is designed and animated in collaboration with theatre-rites, therenowned theatre company. theatre-ritesreceives revenue funding from Arts Council England

OPENING HOURS 09.30-18.00 Mon, Wed, Thur and Fri09.30-20.00 Tue09.30-17.00 Sat11.00-17.00 Sun and Public Holidays

MADE POSSIBLE BYHans Christian Andersen 2005, the Kingdom of Denmark and the Bikuben Foundation

SCHEDULEMonday 8 August 16.30 – 21.00 includes an eveningreception and a chance to see the British Library’s HansChristian Andersen exhibition (see below).

Tuesday 9 August 09.30 – 17.00 includes specialist second-hand book stalls.

Wednesday 10 August 09.30 – 16.15 includes ResearchTraining Sessions on tracing material relating to children’sliterature and fairy tales in the British Library’s collections (part of the AHRB Research Training Scheme) aimedat MPhil level and above.

PRICEEarly Bird rates if you register before 7 July£50 (£25 concessions) £60 (£30 concessions) after that date. Price includes morning and afternoon refreshments (not lunch). Concessions are available to 18 years and under, senior citizens, full-time students, unwaged (ES40), Friends of the British Library and staff of the British Library, IES and University of Newcastle.

10% discount for all delegates in the British Library Bookshop during the conference.

TO BOOKContact Joanne Grubb at the Institute of English Studies, University of London T +44 (0)20 7862 8675 F +44 (0)20 7862 8720ies@sas.ac.uk www.sas.ac.uk/ies/hca/