Hans Christian Andersen was born on April 2, 1805, in Odense, Denmark. He was introduced to literature by his father who read Arabian Nights to him. Andersen's fantasies and imaginations began taking shape when he visited a theatre in Odense at the age of seven. He published his first story, ' The Ghost at Palnatoke's Grave', in 1822 and his first novel, The Improvisatore, in 1835. Andersen began writing fairy tales, which were based on the folk tales he had heard as a child. Fairy Tales Told for Children. First Collection. (Eventyr, fortalte for Bø rn. Fø rste Samling.), a collection of nine tales, was published in three instalments in Copenhagen, Denmark, between 1835 and 1837. He received the standard royal literary scholarship in 1838. The same year, he began writing the second series of fairy tales. Andersen published the Picture Book without Pictures in 1840. By now, he had become well known throughout Europe. Another series of fairy tales was published in 1844, and in 1845, translations of his fairy tales appeared. Andersen never ceased writing fairy tales. Andersen's last fairy tales were published in 1872. He died on August 4, 1875.