Sophia Jansson

Sophia Jansson
Born 1962
Finland
Occupation Artistic director, Oy Moomin Characters, Ltd
Website Moomin

Sophia Jansson (born 1962)[1] is the daughter of cartoonist Lars Jansson and the niece of the famous Finnish writer and painter Tove Jansson. Jansson has worked as a Spanish language teacher,[2] creative/artistic director, chairman, and majority shareholder of Oy Moomin Characters, Ltd,[3][4][5] and provided direct oversight together with her father for the 1990 Moomin animated series.

Oy Moomin Characters, Ltd

Growing up in the center of the collaboration of efforts between her aunt and father, Jansson gained an intimate window into the creative processes behind the Moomin comic strip series. As Tove's efforts became directed more at writing and the strip's production became more the effort of her father, Jansson became an active help in management of the visual aspects of Moomin as an intellectual property.

In 1979, Lars Jansson founded the limited liability company, Oy Moomin Characters, Ltd, now headed by Christer Timgren.[3] According to a 2004 article in the Finnish business magazine Talouselämä, Oy Moomin Characters, Ltd is Finland's most cost-effective business, with some 80 Moomin licences in Finland and almost 300 abroad.[6] It has been listed as among the top Creative Export Companies of Finland in 2007.[7]

Since 1993, Jansson, together with her father, has managed the production of a new series of Moomin strips which Jansson now manages solely.[8]

In 2006 Jansson took the role of director in the release of the CD, Muumipeikko ja Pyrstötähti.[9]

In 2008, the rediscovery by Jansson of the manuscript for "The King in Moominland" (a TV script written by Tove and Lars in the late 60s) made news as the resulting musical performed at the Åbo Svenska Teater represented the first performance of this "lost episode" in decades.[10][11]

Sophia Jansson in film and print

Lars Jansson produced both Moomin strips as well as others including a short strip called Sophia which he produced for a publication called Jaana in 1965.[12]

In May 2003, The Finnish Embassy in London arranged for events to surround the recent translation of Tove Jansson's 1972 Sommarboken, a novel which featured the fictionalized life of the young Sophia on an island.[13] During this event, publishers presented works by Sophia Jansson and Johanna Sinisalo.[14] Jansson was later interviewed in June 2003 by The Daily Telegraph where she explained the details surrounding the story presented in Sommarboken and the relationship shared between Jansson and her aunt, Tove Jansson.[15][16] She would write in more detail about this topic in 2006 in the Scandinavian Review,[17] and again in 2010 for The Guardian, when she explained the nature of her relationship with the rest of the family including her grandmother Signe and Tove's partner, Tuulikki.[5]

Jansson has been credited in such books as Tove Jansson's 1989 Rent Spel[18] and Kate McLoughlin's and Malin Lidström Brock's 2007 Tove Jansson Rediscovered[19] among others.

Jansson has appeared as the host of 1998's short film, Haru: The Island of the Solitary, Introduced by Sophia Jansson.[20][21] She has also featured in Paul Gravett's 2006 documentary film, Moomin's Memoirs, presented at the March 2007 Tove Jansson Conference in Oxford.[22][23]

Honors and awards

In 2001, following the death of her aunt, Jansson went to the UK to help Sort Of Books promote the re-release of a Moomin picture book.[24]

In June 2004, Jansson was invited by the Consulate General of Finland to the 31st "Dreams & Visions" Annual Children's Literature Conference in California. The Consulate sponsored her trip. Here, Jansson represented Finnish children's literature during an engaging lecture and presentation.[25][26]

Commemorative silver coin launched by Jansson in honor of Tove Jansson's 90th anniversary. Artwork by Pertti Mäkinen.[27]

In August 2004, Jansson launched the silver Tove Jansson and Children's Culture collector's coin, receiving the first pressing from Raimo Makkonen, CEO of the Mint of Finland.[27] She served as a judge in the selection of the coin's images,[28] as well as the series of medals that were also issued.[29]

In 2006 Jansson was invited as a notable speaker for one of the Monthly Luncheons hosted by IWC Helsinki.[30]

In February 2007 Jansson was invited to speak at the Scandinavia House in New York City.

In September 2008 Jansson participated as a member of the Committee of Honor in the renowned IBBY World Congress.[31]

Jansson participated in the Helsinki Design Week 2008.[32]

Tove Jansson and Finnish Children's Culture commemorative coin

References

  1. ↑ Tolvanen, Juhani: "Vid min svans"
  2. ↑ KOOMA Addressi Uiah.fi: "30116. Sophia Jansson-Zambra Espanjankielen opettaja". In Finnish. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
  3. 1 2 Ilpala, Merja (15 May 2004). "Muumilaaksolla menee hyvin". Turun Sanomat (in Finnish) (Turku, Finland). Retrieved 2008-09-18.
  4. ↑ Suortti-Vuorio, Auli. "Tove Jansson (1914 - 2001)". Finnish Design. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
  5. 1 2 Rix, Juliet (3 July 2010). "The Moomins – a family affair". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 2011-01-23.
  6. ↑ Räihä, Soile (2005-12-18). "Tove Jansson, The Moomin Business and Finnish Children". Finnish Institutions Research Paper, University of Tampere. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
  7. ↑ Blomqvist, Irina (2007). "TOP 30 Finnish International Companies in Creative Export". Digibusiness.fi. Finland. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
  8. ↑ Ånger, Maria (1 December 2000). "När Mumin Erövrade Världen". Ny Tid (in Swedish) (Finland: Tigertext Ab). Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
  9. ↑ Poijärvi, Timo. Story Behind This Album: All fun projects do have their own story. So does this CD album. Muumimusiikki.com, 2006. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
  10. ↑ Pääkkönen, Sirpa (11 August 2008). "Kansallisteatterissa kotimaisten syksy". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish) (Helsinki, Finland). Retrieved 2008-09-18.
  11. ↑ "Urpremiär 28 augusti 2008: Kungen i Mumindalen". The Swedish Theatre in Helsinki (in Swedish). Helsinki, Finland. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
  12. ↑ Lars Jansson. Lambiek Comiclopedia, 2008. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
  13. ↑ Jansson, Tove (1972). Sommarboken. Schildts/Albert Bonniers Förlag. ISBN 951-50-0018-1.
  14. ↑ "Brittilehdet suosittelevat Tove Janssonin ja Johanna Sinisalon kirjoja" (Press release) (in Finnish). Finnish Embassy in Tokyo. 2003-07-16. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
  15. ↑ Jaggi, Maya (3 September 2005). "Helsinki diary: Runes of song". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 2008-09-25.
  16. ↑ "Suomalainen kirjallisuus hyvässä nosteessa Britanniassa" (Press release) (in Finnish). Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, London. 2003-06-04. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
  17. ↑ Jansson, Sophia (2006). "Tove Jansson and Her Lovable Moomins". Scandinavian Review. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
  18. ↑ Jansson, Tove (1989). Rent spel. Holger Schildts Förlag. ISBN 978-951-50-0467-3.
  19. ↑ McLoughlin, Kate; Brock, Malin Lidström (2007). Tove Jansson Rediscovered. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN 1-84718-269-0.
  20. ↑ Haru - The Island of the Solitary - Film Info - Short Description.
  21. ↑ Sophia Jansson-Zambra (host), Kanerva Cedersteröm (director), Riikka Tanner (co-director) (Spring 2007). Haru: The Island of the Solitary, Introduced by Sophia Jansson (documentary). New World Finn.
  22. ↑ "Moomin Memoirs". Institute of Contemporary Arts. London. 22 October 2006. Retrieved 25 September 2008.
  23. ↑ "Scandinavia House Programs" (PDF) (Press release). Scandinavia House, New York. 2007. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
  24. ↑ "Moomin book given new lease of life". Bookseller. 21 September 2001. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
  25. ↑ "Tove Jansson and Moomin in California" (Press release). Finnish Embassy in Los Angeles. 2004-06-16. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
  26. ↑ "Children’s Literature Association comes to Fresno in 2004". Listserv, California State University Fresno (Mailing list). Retrieved 2008-09-18.
  27. 1 2 "Tove Jansson and children's culture collector coin issued today (9 August 2004)" (Press release). Mint of Finland, Ltd. 2004-08-09. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
  28. ↑ Laiho, Arja (8 August 2004). "Hopeinen juhlaraha Tove Janssonin elämäntyön kunniaksi". Rannikkoseudun arkisto (in Finnish). Retrieved 2008-09-25.
  29. ↑ Makkonen, Raimo (2004). Mint of Finland Group Annual Report 2004 (PDF). Finland. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
  30. ↑ "Activities - Monthly Luncheon". International Women's Club. Helsinki. 2006. Retrieved 25 September 2008.
  31. ↑ Tøth, Jan (September 7–10, 2008). Vagn Plenge, ed. IBBY World Congress 2008 (ASHX). IBBY World Congress 2008. Copenhagen, Denmark. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
  32. ↑ Helsinki Design Week 2008. 2008.

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