| Tove Jansson (1914-2001) A Finnish writer and painter,
born in Helsinki. She was only 14 when her works were published in a
Swedish-language magazine. One year later she became a drawer for a
satiric magazine "Garm". Jansson first studied painting in
Stockhalm (1930-33) then at the Academy of Arts in Helsinki. Her first
stories about Moomins were written in 1945 and her first novel "Comet
over Moominland - in 1946. The book became a great successs and so did
the other Moominbooks. The last of them "Moominvalley in October"
was published in 1971. All books originally written in Swedish have
been translated to over 30 languages and published in millions of copies.
The author created an extraordinary world far from the anxieties of
the modern world, full of tolerance and mutual sympathy. The Moominstories
are also far from the persistent didacticism and the boring educational
tone present in other children books; their language is direct and humoristic.
Everything is embellished with splendid illustrations. It's those masterly
black and white pictures that make one of the most important trump cards
of the book. Their standard, however, is no surprise - Tove Jansson
is a painter. When writing her books featuring Moomintrolls she lived
in Helsinki but she would often spend the summer far from her atelier
on a small island in the Finnish Bay which became the background for
her stories. Her novels can be read over and over for many times and
each time there is stiil something new and interesting to discover. Except the Moominstories there are also some "adult" books in Tove Jansson's literary output and her pictures and wall paintings can be found all over Finland. Tove Jansson was awarded with the Award of the Swedish Academy in 1994 (such awards were also given to Astrid Lindgren and Ingmar Bergman) In 1966 she was decorated with a Hans Christian Andersen Medal - an international award for the creators of children books. More information can be gathered by contacting Tove Jansson's editor: Schildts Foerlags Ab Rusthlllargatan 1 02270 Esbo, Finland schildts@schildts.fi |
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