Tove Jansson is a Finnish writer and artist who invented and painted the legendary Moomins. Fantastic creatures similar to hippos have become one of the most popular fairytale characters of the 20th century, and their creator has gained worldwide fame.
Biography: childhood and adolescence
Tove Marika Jansson was born on August 9, 1914 in Helsinki. She became the first-born in a tandem of sculptor Victor and artist Signe. Soon two brothers were born to Tove. The family spoke Swedish, since her mother had noble roots, she belonged to the ancient Swedish Hammersten dynasty, so the family considered it correct to speak the native language of eminent ancestors. Tove's parents were creative people and adhered to an eccentric lifestyle. They organized large-scale parties at home. In her autobiography, Jansson later wrote that she loved to fall asleep and wake up to the chords of music as a child. Subsequently, it is this atmosphere that she will be inspired by when creating the world of the Moomins.
The family spent the summer months with Signe's parents, who lived on the Swedish island of Blide. There, a fantastic character was invented, who later became the Moomin troll. Tove drew it while arguing with her younger brothers. Initially, it looked different: it looked a little like a hippopotamus and had a long narrow nose. Tove gave him the name Snork. In her books, he later changed his appearance and became one of the main characters, a friend of the moomin family, who could change color according to his mood.
Career
After school, Tove decided to follow in her mother's footsteps. She moved to Stockholm, where she began to study fine arts. Subsequently, for a long time she was engaged in the illustration of other people's creations. Then Jansson used Snork's drawing as a signature on her works.
Soon, Tove decided to try herself in the role of a writer. In 1938, her first book, Little Trolls and the Great Flood, was published. She was also the author of illustrations for her. The writer later admitted to describing her family. The first book did not impress the readers. The second and third books made a splash: "The Moomintroll and the Comet" and "The Wizard's Hat". The first came out in 1946, and the second a couple of years later. In total, Tove wrote 9 books about Moomins.
Initially, Jansson wrote in Swedish, because it was closer to her, because she spoke it since childhood. For this reason, her native Finland became one of the last countries to fall in love with the Moomins, whose popularity peaked during the era of language quarrels between Finns and Swedes. Now her works have been translated into several dozen languages.
Jansson liked to write for children, and books about good-natured hippos began to come out one by one. In the 50s, the world was captured by a real Moomin boom. Publishers offered Tuva lucrative contracts. The Moomins made her rich and famous. In 1966, the writer was awarded the most prestigious award in the field of children's literature - the G.-H. Andersen.
Tove Jansson has also published books for adults, including Gray Silk and her autobiography The Sculptor's Daughter. They were also successful.
Personal life
In her youth, Tove was engaged to journalist Athos Virtanen. However, the couple broke off their engagement. After gaining popularity, Jansson confessed her bisexuality. In 1956 she began to live with the artist Tuulikkiya Pietilä. They were together until the last days of Tove's life.
Jansson passed away on June 27, 2001. Her Moomin trolls still live. During her lifetime, Jansson gave the go-ahead to other writers to use her characters in their works.
