Benthe Østrup Madsen comes from a family of skilled workers, trained as an assistant nurse, and worked as a painter at the Royal Danish Porcelain Manufactory from 1971 to 1974. She made her debut in 1974 as a writer of agitational, working-class literature about sister solidarity, class struggle, and unemployment with prose poems in an anthology of working-class literature, Splinter – fra hverdagen. She later published the documentary report, Konflikt, 1977, describing a strike in the porcelain factory and subsequent dismissals. Her other publications include Håndsrækning (P), 1981, Du er ikke alene, kammerat, (D), 1982, and Bittersøde beretninger (D) in 1992.
Additions by the editorial team 2011:
The above biography was first published in 1998. Since then, Benthe Østrup Madsen has written the novel Røde tråde, 1999, and the book of memoirs Spor på jord, 2008.
