Tove Jansson
Tuula Karjalainen
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Recommended by Claire
‘For Tove Jansson, love and work were inseperable - her emotional life was crucial to her creativity. 2014 would have been her centenary year and this book is one of its highlights, full of beautiful, inimitable illustrations, unseen sketches and a photo of her feeding a seagull on page 278.’
From the publisher
Now in paperback, a beautifully illustrated account of of Tove Jansson's life and art
The definitive biography of one of the most unique and beloved children's authors of the 20th century, the creator of the Moomins. Tove Jansson (1914-2001) led a long, colourful and productive life, impacting significantly the political, social and cultural history of 20th-century Finland. And while millions of children have grown up with Little My, Snufkin, Moomintroll and the many creatures of Moominvalley, the life of Jansson - daughter, friend and companion - is more touching still. This book weaves together the myriad qualities of a painter, author, illustrator, scriptwriter and lyricist from fraught beginnings through fame, war and heartbreak and ultimately to a peaceful end.
Dr Tuula Karjalainen is a Finnish art historian and non-fiction writer who has previously worked as a director of the Helsinki Art Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma in Helsinki. As the author of Tove Jansson's biography, Karjalainen has become an expert not only on Jansson's writing and art but also on her decades of personal correspondence and journals.