Gerd Rindel

1941 -

Denmark

Gerd Rindel was born in Copenhagen and trained as an illustrator in 1962. She worked for many years with various publishing houses, taught drama, and also worked with drug addicts. She made her debut with two poems printed in the magazine Hvedekorn in 1967.

In 1984, she was awarded the children’s book prize by the Ministry of Culture for her debut novel Øretævens vej, 1981, and her subsequent historical novels about the everyday lives of working-class children in Copenhagen in the 1870s. In her novels for adults and children, she uses the magical realist genre, for example in Regines himmelflugt, 1989, Et spor i Rusland, 1991, Det yderste hus, 1994, and Himmelhesten, 1995, which, like her original family chronicle Nu: 33 guddommelige romaner – og et par stykker til, 1992, focuses on the theme of knowing one’s roots at a time when historical consciousness is disintegrating. Gipsenglenes gade, 1996, depicts a period of Danish history seen and experienced through a pair of doll’s eyes.

Gerd Rindel, who has illustrated her own books, has also published picture books.

Additions by the editorial team 2011:

The above biography was first published in 1998. Since then, Gerd Rindel has published the books Drengen i guldrammen, 1999, Men himlen lukker sine øjne, 2003, Den skæve valmue, 2005, Spioner i mørket, 2005, Allemands datter, 2006, and Den sorte engel, 2006.