Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author best remembered for his fairy tales. He was also a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems.
His most famous fairy tales include "The Emperor's New Clothes", "The Little Mermaid", "The Snow Queen", "The Ugly Duckling", "The Little Match Girl", and "Thumbelina".
In his early journals, he wrote about his choice to abstain from sexual relationships and from forming any long-term romantic relationships. However, he did fall in love many times with both men and women.
At one point, he proposed to the famous Swedish singer Jenny Lind. He was so shy that he proposed to her in a letter, but she thought of him more like a brother and rejected him.
He also fell in love with a number of men, including Edvard Collin. He wrote to Collin,
I languish for you as for a pretty Calabrian wench ... my sentiments for you are those of a woman. The femininity of my nature and our friendship must remain a mystery.[1]