What are the best instances that have proved that the pen is mightier than the sword?

The famous writer of children’s literature Astrid Lindgren was easily the most iconic author ever to come out of Sweden. Now Lindgren was an interesting character — she wrote stories, and a ton of them, but there was always a message in them.

In 1976, Lindgren got fed up with the Swedish government — her marginal tax rate had risen to a whopping 102% as the government required self-employed people to pay both regular income tax and employer's fees. So Lindgren did what she did best — she wrote a story about it. A satirical story that completely skewered government policy. It caused a huge uproar, and everyone spoke of it. That year, in the general election, Sweden’s Social Democrat party was voted out of office for the first time in 44 years. Lindgren had been a long-time supporter, but even the most loyal supporters have their limit.

In 1979 a law was enacted against corporal punishment for children, after intense lobbying from Astrid Lindgren. It was the first such law anywhere in the world. Her activism also led to an animal rights law, named after her. Few people better embodied “the pen is mightier than the sword” than Astrid Lindgren — her pen sure was mighty, and it felled governments.