Tove Jansson

Tove Jansson was an exceptional writer, artist and illustrator. Today she is remembered as the author of the magical Moomin troll tales and his friends.

Tove Jansson grew up in a home of artists in Helsingfors. Choosing a career path was easy for her, and she started her journey of studying to become an artist at the tender age of 15. Soon she started illustrating different newsletters, which is where the Moomin trolls started out. The first Moomin book was published in 1945, however, her big break-through came with book number three in 1948.

Today her Moomin tales have been translated into more than 40 languages and have become a piece of pop-culture. Nowadays you can find her adorable illustrations on anything from mugs, to toys, interior and even planes! The Moomin mug by Arabia is a popular collectable all over the world.

The tales of Moomin were written for children, but children and adults alike find valuable lessons in the beautifully written tales of a fantasy world with its peculiar, yet adorable characters. It is said that a lot of the characters were inspired by people in Jansson’s real life. Her Too-Ticky character, for instance, is said to have in ways been a self portrait.