http://www.schildts.fi/tove_uk.htm
TOVE JANSSON (b.1914) grew up in Helsinki as the
oldest child of artist Signe Hammarsten Jansson
and sculptor Viktor Jansson. In her auto-biographical
novel "The Sculptor's Daughter" Tove Jansson recreates
the both bourgeois and bohemian atmosphere of her secure yet adventurous
childhood, which was so important for the books she was to write.
She studied to be an artist and illustrator, but at an early age
she also turned to writing, and in the Moomin books she achieved
a perfect balance between text and illustrations.
The first Moomin book, The Little Trolls and the Great Flood
(1945), is the story of Moominmamma and Moomintroll's search for
Moominpappa. After many hardships and adventures the family is
at last reunited in an idyllic valley. In the eight books that
followed, from Comet in Moominland 1946 to Moominvalley
in November 1970, the Moomin valley remains the
centre of the family's life. Adventures, catastrophes and partings
are recurring themes, but ultimately the family is always reunited
and the idyll remains.
Around this family in the valley, with Moominmamma as it´s
natural centre, a great variety of characters slowly gather: Snork
Maiden and Sniff, Snufkin and Little My, fillyjonks, hattifatteners
and hemulens, all with their own personality and philosophy of
life. In this Moomin-world Tove Jansson has created an autonomous
universe of her own, a world both enchanting and inspiring for
young and old.
Finn Family Moomintroll (1948) became Tove Janssons
real breakthrough as an author of children's books. It was quickly
translated into English and so began the international success
of the Moomin books. They have now been translated into 34 languages:
Bulgarian, Chinese, Corean, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Esperanto,
Esthonian, Faroese, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Icelandic,
Italian, Japanese, Lettish, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Persian, Polish,
Portugese, Russian, Saamish, Slovacian, Slovenian, Spanish, Ukranian,
Welsh...
The Moomin books have also been dramatized for different media:
theatre, opera, film, radio and TV. The latest is the Japanese
animated tv-series in 52 instalments.
Tove Jansson has received much recognition for her work as an
author: among others the the Nils Holgersson plaquette 1953, the
Hans Christian Andersen medal 1966, the Mårbacka Prize 1977,
the Prize of the Swedish Academy 1972, the Pro Finlandia medal
1976.
Moominbooks (available in Puffin paperbacks):
- The Little Trolls and the Great Flood (no Engl. transl.)
- Comet in Moominland (transl. by Elizabeth Portch)
- Finn Family Moomintroll (trnsl. by Elizabeth Portch)
- The Exploits of Moominpappa (transl. by Thomas Warburton)
- Moominsummer Madness (transl. by Thomas Warburton)
- Moominland Midwinter (transl. by Thomas Warburton)
- Tales from Moominvalley (transl. by Thomas Warburton)
- Moominpappa at Sea (transl. by Kingsley Hart)
- Moominvalley in November (transl. by Kingsley Hart)
Picture-books:
- The Book about Moomin Mymble and Little My (Schildts)
- Who will comfort Toffle? (Schildts)
- Dangerous Journey
- Skurken i muminhuset (An unwanted Guest)
In 1953 Tove Jansson was contacted by Associated Press and her
Moomin comics were published in the Evening News. In 1960 her
younger brother Lars Jansson continued the drawing
of the internationally spread Moomin strips.
schildts@schildts.fi