Madicken is a fictional character created by the Swedish author Astrid Lindgren, first appearing in a series of books published in 1960. The name is a diminutive of Margareta, though the character was inspired by Lindgren's childhood friend Anne-Marie, whose nickname was Madicken. In English translations, the character is known as Maggie, Meg, or Mardie. Madicken is portrayed as a 7-year-old middle-class girl living during World War I, with her full name being Margareta Engström. The name is pri...