Danish literature has left its indelible imprint on the world with the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen; the philosophical essays of Soren Kierkegaard; Karen Blixen’s short stories; Ludwig Holdberg’s plays; and the authors of the Modern-Through, a movement of naturalism and debating literature of Scandinavia from 1870 to 1890, replacing Romanticism. Such authors included Laureate Henrik Pontoppidan, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1917, and Herman Bang. Peter Hoeg may be the most popular Danish writer today read by international readers, while Benny Andersen is enjoyed for his short stories, prose and music. Kristen Thorup is a winner of the 1980 Pegasus Prize, and Anders Bodelsen’s psychological thrillers are enjoyed in the English language as well. Significant Danish women writers include Vita Andersen and Suzanne Brogger.

The Applied Arts and industrial design in Denmark have won international awards for excellence. Modern design in the world’s sliver industry is often associated with Georg Jensen, as well as porcelain and ceramic products with the Royal Danish Porcelain Factory and Bing & Grondahl. Such famous designers and architects as Hans Wegner, Porge Mogensen and Arne Jacobsen have also won international recognition in design. The Museum of Applied Art and Industrial Design hosts Danish design exhibits, while the North Jutland Museum and the Louisiana Museum, north of Copenhagen, house international collections of Modern Art. The Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek art museum and State Museum of Art contain impressive pieces of Danish and international art as well.