Swedish Author and Tax Rebel Astrid Lindgren

 

This Day in History: Swedish author Astrid Lindgren was born on this day in 1907. She is best known for several children's books, such as Emil of Lönneberga, Karlsson-on-the-Roof, and the Six Bullerby Children (Children of Noisy Village in the US), Mio, My Son, Ronia the Robber's Daughter, and The Brothers Lionheart. Mostly though she is known for writing a series of books on the fictional character Pippi Longstocking. 

In January 2017, she was calculated to be the world's 18th most translated author, and the fourth most translated children's writer after Enid Blyton, Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm. Lindgren has so far sold roughly 165 million books worldwide. In 1994, she was awarded the Right Livelihood Award for "her unique authorship dedicated to the rights of children and respect for their individuality."

Astrid Lindgren was also embroiled in a tax controversy in Sweden in 1976. Lindgren, discovered that she was losing money by being popular. She had to pay a tax of 102 percent on any new book she sold. "Many rich people left Sweden as a result—including Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of the furniture manufacturer Ikea who emigrated to Switzerland and went on to become the richest man in Europe. During this period, Sweden’s envy-driven tax policy seriously damaged the Swedish economy."~ Dr Rainer Zitelmann

This situation prompted Lindgrento to "write a bitter, satirical essay about the kind old witch Pomperipossa and vicious tax authorities: 'She had thought that the rights of everybody would be respected in a democratic country. People should not be punished and persecuted because they happened—with or against their will—to make money in an honest way.' But in the end, she finds a solution to her problems: 'But suddenly it struck her—woman, you must be able to get welfare benefits! Oh, wonderful thought! And then Pomperipossa lived on welfare happily ever after. And she never wrote another book.'" Source

In Sweden's 1976 general election, the Social Democratic government was voted out for the first time in 44 years, and the Lindgren tax debate was one of several controversies that may have contributed to the result. Another controversy involved Ingmar Bergman's farewell letter to Sweden, after charges had been made against him of tax evasion. Lindgren nevertheless remained a Social Democrat for the rest of her life.

The "hate-the-rich" policies backfired and Sweden eventually lowered the tax rate. At first, the rate fell to 80 percent, which is still quite punitive. The present tax rate in Sweden is 52.90 percent.

Lindgren was also known both for her support for children's and animal rights and for her opposition to corporal punishment and the EU. Asteroid 3204 Lindgren, discovered in 1978 by Soviet astronomer Nikolai Chernykh, was named after her.

Astrid Lindgren lived a long life and died in 2002, and was given the equivalent of a state funeral.