Overview
Pippi Longstocking is a Swedish children's novel by writer Astrid Lindgren, published by Rabén & Sjögren with illustrations by Ingrid Vang Nyman in 1945. Translations have been published in more than 40 languages, commonly with new illustrations.
The first English language translation was published late in 1950 by The Viking Press in the United States with illustrations by Louis S. Glanzman.
Origin
Lindgren originally told Pippi stories to her daughter Karin in 1941, when the seven-year-old was home sick with pneumonia. She wrote the first manuscript during her injury three years later. After it was rejected by Bonniers, Lindgren developed the nonsensical aspects further and submitted the revised version to the 1945 children's book contest sponsored by Rabén & Sjögren, a rather new publisher.
Pippi won the contest that closed on August 1, Rabén & Sjögren arranged for illustrations by Ingrid Vang Nyman (her debut in Sweden), and the first edition was published in November.
From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).