Letters From Tove

"I find myself talking to you about all the great joys, all the agonies, all my thoughts..." Letter to Eva Konikova, 1946

Out of the thousands of letters Tove Jansson wrote a cache remains that she addressed to her family, her dearest confidantes, and her lovers, male and female. Into these she spilled her innermost thoughts, defended her ideals and revealed her heart. To read these letters is both an act of startling intimacy and a rare privilege.

Penned with grace and humour, Letters from Tove offers an almost seamless commentary on Tove Jansson's life as it unfolds within Helsinki's bohemian circles and her island home. Spanning fifty years between her art studies and the height of Moomin fame, we share with her the bleakness of war; the hopes for love that were dashed and renewed, and her determined attempts to establish herself as an artist.

Vivid, inspiring and shining with integrity, Letters from Tove shows precisely how an aspiring and courageous young artist can evolve into a very great one.

About the author

Tove Jansson (1914-2001) was the acclaimed Finnish artist and author who gained world renown as the creator of the Moomin stories. Professor Boel Westin was the author of Tove Jansson: Life, Words, Art (Sort of Books, 2014) and Helen Svensson was Jansson's last editor at Schildts. Both were her trusted friends.

Sarah Death is an award-winning translator from Swedish.

Product details

• Authors: Tove Jansson
• Assisted by: Helen Svensson (Editor), Boel Westin (Editor), Sarah Death (Translation)
• Publisher: Sort of Books
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 22.10.2020
• EAN: 9781908745842
• ISBN: 978-1-908745-84-2
• No. of pages: 496
• Subjects: Fiction > Narrative literature > Letters, diaries; Finland, SOCIAL SCIENCE / LGBT Studies / Lesbian Studies, Of specific Gay & Lesbian interest, LITERARY COLLECTIONS / European / Scandinavian, Literary reference works, Relating to LGBTQ+ people