They believe ‘The Tallow Candle’ was written in 1823, when Anderson was 18. It tells the story of a lonesome candle who finds the right place in life after a meeting with a tinderbox. 

Retired historian, Esben Brage, found the 6 handwritten pages when searching through archive boxes owned by wealthy families from Anderson's home town. 

The story was dedicated to a vicar’s widow named Bunkeflod, who lived across from Andersen’s home in Odense, Denmark. He read to her and borrowed books from her. And this continued when he moved to Copenhagen for university. 

Anderson was the only child of a cleaning lady and a shoemaker. His poetry and stories have been translated into over 150 languages. He is the creator of up to 160 fairytales, including“The Ugly Duckling” and “The Little Mermaid”.