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Tove Ditlevsen (14 December 1917 – 7 March 1976) was a Danish poet and author.

Life
Tove Irma Margit Ditlevsen was born in Copenhagen in 1917 and grew up in the working-class neighbourhood of Vesterbro. Her childhood experiences were the focal points of her work. Ditlevsen was married (and divorced) four times.

Throughout her adult life she struggled with alcohol and drug abuse, and she was several times admitted to a psychiatric hospital, a recurring theme in her later novels.

She died by suicide in 1976 due to an overdose of sleeping pills.

Writing
In her career, Ditlevsen published 29 books including short stories, novels, poetry and memoirs. She began writing poems at the age of ten. Her first volume of poetry was published in her early twenties. In 1947, she experienced popular success with the publication of her poetry collection Blinkende Lygter (Flickering Lights). The Danish Broadcasting Corporation commissioned her to write a novel, Vi har kun hinanden (We only have each other), which was published in 1954 and broadcast in installments on the radio.

Female identity, memory, and loss of childhood are recurring themes in Ditlevsen's work. Three of her books, Bardom (Childhood), Ungdom (Youth), and Gift (meaning both poison and married), form an autobiographical trilogy.

She was awarded the Tagea Brandt Rejselegat in 1953 and De Gyldne Laurbær in 1956.

Legacy
Several of Ditlevsen's works have been adapted or featured prominently in other media. Ditlevsen's poem "Blinkende Lygter", from the book of the same name, is featured in the 2000 film Flickering Lights, directed by Anders Thomas Jensen. Her novel Barndommens gade was made into a film in mid-1980s and Anne Linnet released an album with poems by Ditlevsen, sung by Linnet. The music from the album was also used in the movie Barndommens gade.