Jens Olesen

Chairman

I am consul general, president of the Danish-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, chairman of H.C. Andersen Literature Prize Committee and I have been Goodwill Ambassador for Copenhagen for more than 27 years.

Milstones in my career:

Why is it important to you to be a part of the Hans Christian Andersen Award? 

To me, H. C. Andersen is the most important and best-known Danish author in the world! H. C. Andersen is a unique multi-artist and storyteller. Everyone loves his writing, and I am a very big fan and admirer of H.C. Andersen.

Anne-Marie Mai

Deputy Chairman

I am a professor of Nordic literature at the University of Southern Denmark, which means that I research, teach and communicate.

Milstones in my career:

Why is it important to you to be a part of the Hans Christian Andersen Award? 

It is an incredibly great joy to participate in the work to celebrate H.C. Andersen and world literature. It is exciting to invite award recipients to visit Denmark and meet their readers! It is very rewarding and wonderful for us in the award committee to experience.

Claus Houden

I have a wide-ranging network and involvement, both in business and the cultural environment from various board positions and positions of trust. But also in the political sphere, where I have a large network and experience from finance committees, health committees etc. 

Milstones in my career:

Why is it important to you to be a part of the Hans Christian Andersen Award? 

To me, fairy tales and literature are like keys to the imagination that open the door to magical worlds and let us dream, because they mirror the mysteries of life and shape us in an adventurous way.

Michael Møller Nielsen

I am an attorney and partner in the Lund Elmer Sandager law firm where I head the employment law department as one of the country's leading specialists in my field. In addition, I am a member of a number of boards and involved in several pro-bono projects.

Milstones in my career:

Why is it important to you to be a part of the Hans Christian Andersen Award? 

It is an honor to be a part of H.C. Andersen literature committee. It is important to me to help ensure that Andersen's legacy is passed on to future generations, and that Andersen's works will continue to be read and appreciated in the future. In addition, it is hugely exciting to invite award recipients who are world literary stars to visit us in Denmark.

Ellen Hillingsø

I am an actor and speaker and have participated in a long series of film, theater and television contexts.

Milstones in my career:

Henriette Divert

I am an independent management consultant for boards and teams that use live intervention to improve the influence and effectiveness of management on the organization and ecosystem of private and public organizations.

Milstones in my career:

Søren Kristensen

I am the founder, owner and CEO of Opus Group – a group with a focus on experiences, knowledge and investments. The group includes the companies such as Athenas and Tikko, which are international companies in the lecture area. In addition, I am serving as board member at the Odense Symphony Orchestra, and I have been involved in the investment and sale of several companies.

Milstones in my career:

Why is it important to you to be a part of the Hans Christian Andersen Award? 

H. C. Andersen Literature Award is an important cultural event that aims to pay tribute to both H. C. Andersen, some of the world's greatest authors, and at the same time hopefully inspire everyone else to both create and read good literature. At the same time, the committee is local and part of Odense's culture and therefore also worth supporting. H. C. Andersen's name is well known all over the world, and there are still much more of Andersen that can be shared with the world.

Mette Westergaard

I have a degree in communication and work on a daily basis with marketing, communication and project management at the Lund Elmer Sandager law firm. In H.C. Andersen literature committee, I help with the administrative work in connection with the board work and the award activities.

Milstones in my career:

Why is it important to you to be a part of the Hans Christian Andersen Award? 

It's very exciting for me to be a part of the H.C. Andersen Literature Committee, as it allows me to contribute to the preservation and dissemination of Danish cultural heritage in collaboration with talented and inspiring individuals in the committee.