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Tove Jansson

とーべ・やんそん

Tove Jansson

Pen Names: Vera Haij（Pseudonym used in youth; published under this name in 1933）

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1914-08-09 （Helsinki, Grand Duchy of Finland）
Died
2001-06-27 （Helsinki, Finland） age 86
Nationality
Finland
Languages
Swedish
Residence History
Helsinki (birthplace and residence) → Pellinki / Klovharu island (summer cottage) → Stockholm (study / residence) → Paris (study / residence)

Career

Occupations
author, painter, illustrator, comic strip artist
Active Years
1930-2001
Influenced By
Viktor Jansson (father), Signe Hammarsten-Jansson (mother), Einar Hammarsten (uncle)
Influenced
Lars Jansson (brother, cartoonist), Sophia Jansson (niece, Moomin steward), Many children's authors and artists (e.g. Terry Pratchett cited Jansson's influence)

Education

Konstfack (Stockholm)
Arts and Crafts
Period: 1930–1933
Year of Graduation: 1933
Country: Sweden
Studied at the Stockholm arts college
Graphic School of the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts
Graphic arts
Period: 1933–1937
Year of Graduation: 1937
Country: Finland
Studied graphic arts
École des Beaux-Arts (Paris)
Fine arts
Period: 1938
Year of Graduation: 1938
Country: France
Studied in Paris

Awards

Hans Christian Andersen Award (gold medal)
1966
Organization: International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY)
Result: 受賞
Order of the Smile
1975
Organization: Order of the Smile
Result: 受賞
Pro Finlandia Medal
1976
Organization: Finland (state/cultural institutions)
Result: 受賞
Selma Lagerlöf Prize
1992
Organization: Selma Lagerlöf Prize committee
Result: 受賞
Finnish State Prize for Literature
1963
Organization: Finnish state / cultural institutions
Result: 受賞
Nils Holgersson Plaque
1953
Work: The Book about Moomin, Mymble and Little My
Organization: Children's literature organizations
Result: 受賞
Ducat Prize of the Finnish Art Society
1939
Organization: Finnish Art Society
Result: 受賞
The Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame
2016
Organization: Comic-Con International
Result: 殿堂入り（追贈）

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Moomins and the Great Flood

1945 Children's literature (fantasy)

Moominmamma and Moomintroll flee through a dark forest after a flood; an early work that prefigures the Moomin series.

familyadventurenature and disaster

Comet in Moominland

1946 Children's literature (fantasy)

The inhabitants of Moominvalley face the threat of a comet and embark on adventures; often read as reflecting wartime anxieties.

crisiscommunitygrowing up

Finn Family Moomintroll

1948 Children's literature (fantasy)

Stories about adventures prompted by the discovery of a magician's hat; one of the popular Moomin books.

imaginationhumorfamily

The Summer Book

1972 Adult novel (semi-autobiographical) 128 pages

Depicts the summer stay of a girl and her grandmother on an island, quietly exploring life, death, and the relationship with nature.

natureintergenerational relationshipsloss and growth

Moominland Midwinter

1957 Children's literature (psychological allegory)

Moomintroll wakes in the middle of winter and must cope with an unfamiliar world; considered a turning point in the series.

lonelinessself-discoveryseasonal change

Moominpappa at Sea

1965 Children's literature (psychological)

Moominpappa confronts his past and inner conflicts at sea; a more introspective Moomin book.

identityfamilysolitude

Bibliography

  • The Moomins and the Great Flood (1945)
  • Comet in Moominland (1946)
  • Finn Family Moomintroll (1948)
  • The Exploits of Moominpappa (1950)
  • Moominsummer Madness (1955)
  • Moominland Midwinter (1957)
  • Moominpappa at Sea (1965)
  • Moominvalley in November (1970)
  • The Summer Book (1972)
  • The True Deceiver (1982)
  • Notes from an Island (1993)

Adaptations

  • TV animation (e.g. 1990 Moomin series)
  • Stage productions, ballet and opera adaptations
  • Film adaptations (feature and short films)

Translations by Author

Translations of Works

  • Moomin books translated into 45 languages
  • Illustrated Swedish edition of The Hobbit (1962)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
concise and poetic proseallegorical and symbolic elementsblend of humor and philosophical depth
Recurring Motifs
nature (sea, islands, seasons)family and communitysolitude and self-discoveryimagination and the uncanny

Legacy

Tove Jansson left a global legacy through the Moomin series and is also highly regarded as a painter and illustrator. Her works have been translated widely and continue to influence culture via exhibitions, museums, commemorative coins and theme parks.

Museums

  • Moomin Museum (Tampere) Tampere, Finland
  • Helsinki Art Museum (permanent Tove Jansson exhibition) Helsinki, Finland Opened in 2016

Academic Societies

  • Swedish Academy (Finland Prize recipient)
  • Åbo Akademi University (Honorary Professor)

Archives

  • Moomin-related archives (Moomin Museum and others)

In Popular Culture

  • Moomin World theme park in Naantali
  • Moominvalley Park in Hannō, Japan
  • Biopic film 'Tove' (2020)

Quotes

  • I think of Moominland Midwinter as a book about what it is like when things get difficult.
    Source: Tove Jansson (on Moominland Midwinter; interviews / writings) (1957)

Trivia

  • She was a Swedish-speaking Finnish author.
  • Her lifelong partner was graphic artist Tuulikki Pietilä.
  • She produced illustrations for a 1962 Swedish edition of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit.
  • She once published under the pseudonym 'Vera Haij' when young.