From the Hans Christian Andersen biography "The Life of Hans Christian Andersen. Day By Day", written by DPhil Johan de Mylius:
1855
11 November
Søren Kierkegaard dies, having worn himself out in a battle against the clerical "distortion" of Christianity.
28 November
Release of Billedbog uden Billeder (Picture Book without Pictures). 4th edition (3rd edition was in Samlede Skrifter (Collected Writings) 1854).
November - December
In preparation of writing the novel At være eller ikke være (To Be or Not To Be), HCA attends lectures held by the physiologist and zoologist D.F. Eschricht, who speaks against the materialism in German philosophy and natural sciences.
December
Release of six Novelletter by Hartmann, accompanied by texts from HCA. When Hartmann had played the pieces for him, he had found that each contained a little story. He therefore wrote the little poems for this purpose, to be read aloud before each piece of music.
December
The painter August Schiøtt asks HCA to sit for him. It is not known whether anything ever came of this painting.
3 December
The poem "Christian Winther" is printed in the newspaper 'Fædrelandet'. (After having read Winther's poetry 'Hjortens Flugt' (The Flight of The Deer).
7 December
Barters with Reitzel to receive Ingemann's collected works. Apart from Tankebreve fra en Afdød (Letters of Thought from a Deceased), HCA was, in the later years, especially interested in Ingemann's novel depicting the present day: Landsbybørnene (The Village Children) (he could recognise traits from his own fate as an artist in the protagonist Anton). Also the political novel Den Stumme Frøken (The Mute Maid) interested him and he considered this book to be unjustly overlooked.
8 December
Sends a copy of Mit Livs Eventyr (The Fairy Tale of My Life) to his old teacher from Odense, Fedder Carstens, now living on Tåsinge.
20 December
Reads fairy-tales and stories for the blind at the Institute for the Blind.