The Most Famous
Writers from Denmark
This page contains a list of the greatest Danish Writers. The pantheon dataset contains 7,302 Writers, 53 of which were born in Denmark. This makes Denmark the birth place of the 27th most number of Writers behind Canada and Switzerland.
Top 10
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Danish Writers of all time. This list of famous Danish Writers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Danish Writers.
1. Hans Christian Andersen (1805 - 1875)
With an HPI of 90.14, Hans Christian Andersen is the most famous Danish Writer. biography has been translated into 180 different languages on wikipedia.
2. Karl Adolph Gjellerup (1857 - 1919)
With an HPI of 79.92, Karl Adolph Gjellerup is the 2nd most famous Danish Writer. biography has been translated into 81 different languages.
3. Sigrid Undset (1882 - 1949)
With an HPI of 78.56, Sigrid Undset is the 3rd most famous Danish Writer. biography has been translated into 99 different languages.
4. Johannes V. Jensen (1873 - 1950)
With an HPI of 78.43, Johannes V. Jensen is the 4th most famous Danish Writer. biography has been translated into 81 different languages.
5. Henrik Pontoppidan (1857 - 1943)
With an HPI of 76.76, Henrik Pontoppidan is the 5th most famous Danish Writer. biography has been translated into 81 different languages.
6. Karen Blixen (1885 - 1962)
With an HPI of 75.85, Karen Blixen is the 6th most famous Danish Writer. biography has been translated into 73 different languages.
7. N. F. S. Grundtvig (1783 - 1872)
With an HPI of 69.71, N. F. S. Grundtvig is the 7th most famous Danish Writer. biography has been translated into 42 different languages.
8. Tove Ditlevsen (1917 - 1976)
With an HPI of 69.49, Tove Ditlevsen is the 8th most famous Danish Writer. biography has been translated into 25 different languages.
9. Jens Peter Jacobsen (1847 - 1885)
With an HPI of 69.00, Jens Peter Jacobsen is the 9th most famous Danish Writer. biography has been translated into 32 different languages.
10. Georg Brandes (1842 - 1927)
With an HPI of 68.98, Georg Brandes is the 10th most famous Danish Writer. biography has been translated into 37 different languages.
People
Pantheon has 53 people classified as Danish writers born between 1621 and 1995. Of these 53, 10 (18.87%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Danish writers include Jussi Adler-Olsen, Ole Nydahl, and Jens Fink-Jensen. The most famous deceased Danish writers include Hans Christian Andersen, Karl Adolph Gjellerup, and Sigrid Undset. As of April 2024, 1 new Danish writers have been added to Pantheon including Janne Teller.
Living Danish Writers
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Jussi Adler-Olsen
1950 - Present
HPI: 67.25
Ole Nydahl
1941 - Present
HPI: 64.38
Jens Fink-Jensen
1956 - Present
HPI: 64.35
Peter Høeg
1957 - Present
HPI: 61.15
Dorrit Willumsen
1940 - Present
HPI: 55.06
Carsten Jensen
1952 - Present
HPI: 52.64
Pia Tafdrup
1952 - Present
HPI: 51.95
Janne Teller
1964 - Present
HPI: 50.07
Sherin Khankan
1974 - Present
HPI: 47.38
Sandi Toksvig
1958 - Present
HPI: 45.78
Deceased Danish Writers
Go to all RankingsHans Christian Andersen
1805 - 1875
HPI: 90.14
Karl Adolph Gjellerup
1857 - 1919
HPI: 79.92
Sigrid Undset
1882 - 1949
HPI: 78.56
Johannes V. Jensen
1873 - 1950
HPI: 78.43
Henrik Pontoppidan
1857 - 1943
HPI: 76.76
Karen Blixen
1885 - 1962
HPI: 75.85
N. F. S. Grundtvig
1783 - 1872
HPI: 69.71
Tove Ditlevsen
1917 - 1976
HPI: 69.49
Jens Peter Jacobsen
1847 - 1885
HPI: 69.00
Georg Brandes
1842 - 1927
HPI: 68.98
Sven Hassel
1917 - 2012
HPI: 68.81
Martin Andersen Nexø
1869 - 1954
HPI: 67.33
Newly Added Danish Writers (2025)
Go to all RankingsOverlapping Lives
Which Writers were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 25 most globally memorable Writers since 1700.
