Hans Christian Andersen was born in Denmark in 1805. Although he published poetry, plays and travel sketches based on his travels, he is now most remembered for his fairy tales, which have influenced generations of children's authors. The first two volumes of Fairy Tales Told for Children were published in 1835, and when his fairy tales were translated a decade later he received long-lasting recognition in the field.

Maria Tatar is the John L. Loeb Research Professor of Germanic Languages & Literatures and Folklore & Mythology at Harvard University, where she is also a Senior Fellow at the Society of Fellows. Her books include Enchanted Hunters: The Power of Stories in Childhood, The Annotated Hans Christian Andersen, and The Annotated Brothers Grimm.