Tove Jansson

Description

An appreciation of the life and art of Tove Jansson, creator of the Moomin books, which are adored by children and adults across the globe. This book provides fresh insights and a deeper appreciation of the life and art of Tove Jansson (1914-2001), one of the most original, influential and perennially enjoyed illustrators of the 20th century. Jansson's flourishing Moomin books are examined in detail, as are her interpretations of such classics as Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and The Hunting of the Snark, and J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. Born in Helsinki among the Swedish-speaking Finnish minority, Jansson was brought up with a love for making art and stories in a supportive artistic family. Her first illustrated tales were published when she was fourteen years old. From a year later until 1953, she drew humorous and political cartoons as well as striking front covers for the satirical magazine Garm, responding to the Second World War and its aftermath as she developed from art student to painter and muralist, bohemian and lesbian. This book also explores the emergence of her Moomin world, appearing in her first children's book in 1945 and then in newspaper strips. These would lead to her being headhunted by the London Evening News, the world's biggest-selling evening paper, to write and draw a daily Moomin newspaper cartoon. This body of work is one of her great achievements, expanding her stories, settings and cast and invigorating her drawing and writing. Jansson also wrote many novels, documented here along with personal commentaries from her own writings.

Paul Gravett is a writer, critic, curator, publisher and broadcaster who has worked in the comics industry since 1981. He is author of many books, including Graphic Novels: Stories to Change Your Life, Comics Art and Mangasia, the latter published by Thames & Hudson in 2017. He is also the author of Posy Simmonds in the Illustrators series. Gravett is co-director of Comica, the London International Comics Festival.

'Tove Jansson is one of the most original, versatile, philosophically dextrous, warm and generous artists ever to have graced this world' - Ali Smith 'Informative' - Art Review 'Contains a wealth of illustrations... A sensitive portrayal of Finland's most widely translated author, this itself is a work of art' - Shelf Awareness (starred review)