Sille Henrikke Christine Beyer

1803 - 1861

Denmark

Sille Henrikke Christine Beyer was the daughter of a Copenhagen merchant who nurtured a passion for literature and ensured that she received a thorough grounding in languages at home. She remained unmarried, partly lived with her parents, partly worked as a lady’s companion, and was editor of the first anthology of Danish women’s literature Vintergrønt, 1852. Her five works for the theatre – comedy, singspiel, and drama – were published anonymously and were performed at the Royal Danish Theatre.

As a counterpart to the Clara Raphael debate, Sille Beyer’s collection Tankebilleder eller kvindelige Situationer, 1853, deals with female life. Sille Beyer is most known for her collaboration with J. L. Heiberg and Mrs Heiberg on the translation and adaptation of works by Shakespeare, Calderón, and Byron for the Danish stage.