Celebrating a Troll (Moomintroll)

This year is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Tove Jansson, the renowned Finnish artist and writer. In Europe she is a household name and her Moomin books, illustrations, comics and videos are everywhere. She is a cultural icon and her works a treasure.

I recall the Moomin books vividly from my youth but my own bookshelf at home was empty of her books. Easily rectified I thought. I would just look at a few from the public library to help decide what to buy. I was dismayed to search the public libraries for her books to find the pickings rather slim. No problem, I would just have a look on the shelf at my local bookshops. I visited bookshops, even the redoubtable Westbooks, but found they didn't have any in store. What! No demand they said but we can get them for you.

It seems that sometime since my youth Tove Jansson and her Moomin books have fallen from favour in this part of the world. When I talk about Jansson's books to colleagues and friends I find many who know nothing of them.

This is intolerable. I now have a set of her books and am reading them even as I write, and I can testify that they are good, very, very good. I am in awe of her writing and her illustration. These are books that have stood the test of time because they are quality.

It is time for some renewal. I urge you, my reader, to get some Moomin on your shelves. Your shelves at home, your shelves at work, the shelves of your local book retailer. What a great way to mark the anniversary of a national (Finnish) treasure.

You will not be disappointed.

Celebrating 100 Years http://www.tove100.com/

Tove Jansson: Love, war and the Moomins http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26529309

Suggested titles :) http://www.goodreads.com/series/50696-the-moomins

A little more Tove Jansson

When I was visiting Gothenberg University (in Sweden) I was surprised to see an exhibition in their library of works by Tove Jansson. I asked about this, knowing she was Finish, and discovered that she was from Swedish speaking parents and in fact Swedish is still a substantial language in Finland. She was much admired in Sweden and I suspect many Northern European countries.

Here are some snaps from the book exhibition for your enjoyment.

Classic Moomintroll books.

And some more Moomin...

This little fellow looks familiar. A burglar by trade?

Doing the hard work for another author.

Alice I Underlandet!

Illustrations, but not a kids book.

http://www.ub.gu.se/(en)/aktuellt/detaljvy.xml?id=1947

Connections to Finland

I was at an international conference in Helsinki last week, my first ever visit to Finland and I will admit that prior to my visit I'd have been hard pressed to say where it was on the map except for a vague impression that it was in the North and rather close to Russia. 

What I hadn't realised was that I had connections to Finland, in my pocket, on my iOS and in my childhood.

The first is obvious. I have a Nokia mobile phone and Finland is the home of Nokia. 

The second wasn't obvious to me. Finland is the home of the creators of Angry Birds.

The last was tucked away in my memory and emerged when I was bombarded with Moomin trinkets and toys, fabrics and fridge magnets. Finland is the home of the creator of one of my favourite childhood book series, the Moomins. Her name was Tove Jansson (which I can now pronounce correctly thanks to my Finnish colleagues), it is a hundred years since her birth and she is an iconic figure in Finland. As luck would have it I got to visit the special exhibition at the Ateneum Art Museum and was blown away by her work as a painter, illustrator, cartoonist and author. 

However I have also discovered that I am a little unusual, in my own country, in knowing of her children's books. I borrowed these from my public library as a child and have sadly neglected to expose my own children to them. I will be correcting this oversight in the near future.

You can discover more about the remarkable Tove Jansson at http://www.tovejansson.com