NEWS UPDATES 2026

Bringing you the latest insights, publication announcements and critical perspectives from the ever‑inspiring world of Tove Jansson…

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ANNOUNCEMENTS!

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Throughout 2026 we celebrate 80 years of Comet in Moominland

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NEWS & VIEWS

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“Tove Jansson knew what it was like to fear for her life and the future.”
In this lovely piece (“A safe place where people were nice to each other”: books written as a refuge from the world) by Lucy Fuggle on the “comfort of literary utopias, from Rivendell to Moominvalley”, she recommends reading The Moomins and the Great Flood to find such a “sanctary”. (Life with Books, 20 January 2026)

“All in all, nothing much happens … and yet it’s a rich life”.
Chris Lovegrove ruminates on Tove’s 1989 novel, Fair Play in his lovely piece, “Rather happy tales” (Calmgrove Books, 9 January 2026)

Iconic Moomin artist to get permanent gallery in European museum
Natalie Wilson reports: “Tove Jansson’s illustrations will span three exhibition halls in Helsinki” (Independent, 7 January 2026)

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EVENTS

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FEBRUARY

Ongoing until 12^th April 2026
Tove Jansson: The World of the Moomins
Literaturhaus München, Salvatorplatz 1 80333 Munich, Germany
80 years ago, Finnish artist Tove Jansson invented the Moomins, the iconic rotund trolls that are currently celebrated worldwide. Their stories are a plea for tolerance, empathy and a thirst for adventure. The Literaturhaus München is presenting it for the first time in an exhibition.

Ongoing until 27^th September 2026
Escape to Moominvalley: Reflecting Reality Through Tove Jansson’s Imaginary World
The Architecture & Design Museum, Korkeavuorenkatu 23, Helsinki, Finland
The exhibition highlights the global celebrations of the 80^th anniversary of the Moomin stories by taking a “fresh look at the connections between Jansson, the Moomins, architecture, and design.”

Ongoing until March 2027
Enchanted by Klovharun – On the Island of Tove and Tuulikki
Chappe Gustav Wasas gata 11 10600 Ekenäs, Finland
The exhibition showcases some of Tove Jansson’s few sea-themed paintings and Tuulikki Pietilä’s prints that depict Klovharun. The photographs taken by visiting artists Erika Adamsson and Katja Syrjä provide a comprehensive view into the working life of the artists on a distant outer island in the Baltic Sea. In connection with the exhibition, a book will be published, with an article by non-fiction writer Sanna Nyqvist, Docent in Comparative Literature.

13^th February 2026 – 24^th January 2027
Tove Jansson Gallery, HAM (Helsinki, Finland)
Tove Jansson has her own dedicated space spanning three exhibition halls in the Helsinki Art Museum built around her frescoes ‘Party in the Countryside’ and ‘Party in the City’. “The inaugural exhibition centres on Jansson’s artistic family, with courage – inspired by Tove Jansson’s book Comet in Moominland – as its unifying theme.”

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MARCH

30^th March 2026
Tove Jansson: The World of the Moomins – After-Work Tour with Elisa Morell in Munich
Literaturhaus München, Salvatorplatz 1 80333 Munich, Germany
The exhibition presents Tove Jansson and her iconic figures comprehensively for the first time and opens up a view of the artistic oeuvre that reaches far beyond the Moomin Valley. The exhibition shows that special mixture of poetry and anarchy, of security and resilience that touches generations of readers: a cosmos that reminds adults of their inner child and at the same time reignites the imagination. It is recommended for young people and adults who want to discover Jansson as a versatile artist – as well as the timeless messages of her lovably stubborn trolls (not for children, must be at least 14-years-of-age).

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MAY

23^rd May 2026 – 6^th September 2026
The Wonders of Moominvalley, Ferens Art Gallery (Kingston upon Hull, England)
A specially curated interactive exhibition celebrating the stories and artwork of Tove Jansson’s Moomin characters.

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AUGUST

9^th August 2026
Finnish Art Day / Tove Jansson Day in Finland
“Finnish Art Day, also known as Tove Jansson Day, is an annual flag flying day [which] celebrates the birthday of Tove Jansson”. At Book Jotter, we honour Tove and her Moomins throughout the month of August and encourage others to do likewise.

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Please let me know if I have missed anything of importance. Thank you!

Categories: Tove Jansson

Tags: #ToveTrove, Book News, Finnish Art, Finnish Literature, Moomin Books, Moomin Events, Moomins, Nordic Literature, Tove Trove