John Berger
British painter, writer and art critic (1926-2017)
Tove Jansson was a talented Fenno-Swedish author, artist, and illustrator, best known for creating the beloved Moomin book series for children. She also wrote several novels and short stories for adults, and her artwork was featured in public commissions and book illustrations throughout her prolific career.
Table of Contents
About the Tove Jansson
Tove Marika Janssonwas a Finnish author, novelist, painter, illustrator and comic strip author of Swedish descent. Brought up by artistic parents, Jansson studied art from 1930 to 1938 in Helsinki, Stockholm, and Paris. She held her first solo art exhibition in 1943. Over the same period, she penned short stories and articles for publication, and subsequently drew illustrations for book covers, advertisements, and postcards. She continued her work as an artist and writer for the rest of her life.
Jansson wrote the Moomin novel series for children, starting with the 1945 The Moomins and the Great Flood. The following two books, Comet in Moominland and Finn Family Moomintroll, published in 1946 and 1948 respectively, were highly successful, and sales of the first book increased correspondingly. For her work as a children’s author she received the Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 1966; among her many later awards was the Selma Lagerlof Prize in 1992. Her Moomin stories have been adapted for the theatre, the cinema, and as an opera.
She held a solo exhibition of paintings in 1955, and five more between 1960 and 1970. She carried out several commissions for murals in public buildings around Finland between 1945 and 1984. She created the illustrations both for her own books and for classics including Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and The Hobbit.
Starting with the semi-autobiographical Bildhuggarens dotterin 1968, Jansson wrote six novels, including the admired Sommarboken (The Summer Book), and five short story collections for adults.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tove Jansson was a Fenno-Swedish author, novelist, painter, illustrator, and comic strip author who is best known for creating the Moomin book series for children.
Tove Jansson received the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 1966 for her work as a children’s author, and she was awarded the Selma Lagerlöf Prize in 1992. Her Moomin stories have been adapted for the theatre, cinema, and opera.
In addition to her writing, Tove Jansson was a prolific artist who held solo art exhibitions, created illustrations for book covers and advertisements, and completed several public mural commissions in Finland between 1945 and 1984.
Tove Jansson wrote the beloved Moomin novel series for children, starting with ,The Moomins and the Great Flood, in 1945. She also wrote six novels for adults, including the acclaimed ,Sommarboken, (The Summer Book), and five short story collections.
Tove Jansson was brought up by artistic parents and studied art in Helsinki, Stockholm, and Paris, which greatly influenced her diverse creative output as an author, illustrator, and painter throughout her life.