LINDGREN, ASTRID

born Nov. 14, 1907, Vimmerby, Swed. influential Swedish writer of children's books. Lindgren's great popularity began in 1945 with the creation of Pippi Lngstrump (Pippi Longstocking), the first of three books with Pippi as its main character. This strangely dressed girl living alone with her horse and ape, having great wealth and enormous physical strength, stands totally apart from the conformist demands of everyday life and incarnates every child's dream of freedom and power. An equally popular character is found in Emil in Lnneberga (1963), which was followed by a sequel in 1970. Emil is another uninhibited child of nature depicted in a setting from Lindgren's home province around the turn of the century. Other well-known characters include the children from Bullerbyn, portrayed in three books from the 1940s and 1950s, and Nils Karlsson-Pyssling (1949), a poetic tale of a lonely child and his world of imaginary creatures. In Mio, min Mio (1954) and Brderna Lejonhjrta (1973; The Brothers Lionheart) she turned with equal success to the world of folklore. Lindgren received the gold medal of the Swedish Academy (1971).