My good friends who used to live in the penthouse at our Grade 1 listed Isokon Flats have now gone off to run a Moomin shop in Camden Lock.
I must admit that, to my shame, I had never even heard of the Moomins – the rather delightful fairy tale characters created by the Finnish writer Tove Jansson in the second half of the 20th century. However, since they opened the shop I have made point of regularly stocking up my growing band of great nieces and nephews with Moomin-ery. And I seem to have created quite fan club – one keen member below!
Mind you – I am not entirely sure that Little My really approves of the shades and the cap – she looks very cross! Maybe she thinks they have rather stolen the show.
Magnus if the Moomin shop in Camden has just added this fascinating insight. Maybe I need to read the next lot of books before I hand them over….
‘Tove actually started to write the first Moomin book already during the war, and it was published in 1945, but went unnoticed. But in 1946 a second one was published, which was the breakthrough.
Tove found solace in writing the Moomin books, it was her way of combating the anxiety caused by the Second World War. Comet in Moominland was the second Moomin book, but the first one to achieve recognition and popularity. The meteorite that threatens Moominvalley is a strong analogy to the frightening threat of air raids during a war that ended with the dropping of atomic bombs; Tove was a 25 years old woman when the Soviet first bombed Helsinki.’