A major exhibition showcasing previously unseen drawings and materials by Finnish artist and writer Tove Jansson will open at the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration in London this November. Titled *Tove Jansson and her Families*, the show marks the first significant UK exhibition focusing exclusively on Jansson’s illustrations and runs until May 9 next year, commemorating 25 years since her death.

Jansson, best known as the creator of the globally beloved Moomin books, produced her stories and illustrations between 1945 and 1977. The Moomin series, which follows the lives of gentle trolls with distinctive hippopotamus-like snouts living in harmony with nature, has sold up to 30 million copies worldwide and been translated into more than 60 languages. The franchise has also inspired animated adaptations, television series, and theme parks.

The exhibition will feature over 100 items, including original sketches, photographs, films, correspondence, and early works that have rarely been seen before. Among the highlights is a previously unknown sketch of Moominpappa, the sea-loving adventurer, with a giant shell—an early draft for the cover of *Moominpappa at Sea*, a story about the family’s move to a remote island exposed to storms and the sea’s whims. This and other newly discovered pieces had not been seen even by Sophia Jansson, Tove’s niece and chair of the Moomins Characters brand, who described the artist as "extremely prolific."

Sophia Jansson emphasized her aunt’s unique ability to blend universal and personal themes within fantastical stories. “We think we’re reading about Moomins in Moominvalley, and when you finish the book, you realize you’re actually reading about ‘us,’ about humans and how we interact and all our peculiarities,” she said.

Paul Gravett, a Jansson expert and guest curator of the exhibition, highlighted the continuing relevance of the Moomin prose novels, praising their celebration of diversity, eccentricity, and tolerance. He noted that these qualities contribute to their appeal beyond children’s literature. Gravett also shared anecdotes about the survival of some rare early works, including a coffee-stained comic strip originally destined for the rubbish heap but preserved by a fellow cartoonist.

The exhibition traces Jansson’s lifelong fascination with fantasy, evident in her childhood homemade booklets and later illustration projects. She reimagined characters in Swedish editions of Lewis Carroll’s *The Hunting of the Snark* and *Alice in Wonderland* with a darker style, and notably illustrated J.R.R. Tolkien’s *The Hobbit*, portraying Gollum as monstrously large. Tolkien, surprised by Jansson’s interpretation, amended his own description of the character’s size in subsequent editions. The first English edition featuring her illustrations is scheduled for release this month by HarperCollins.

Besides her children’s books, Jansson was an outspoken political cartoonist during World War II, known for her sharp criticism of fascism and totalitarianism. One of her wartime cartoons depicted a toy shop refusing to sell a doll labeled “Momma,” instead offering “Heil Hitler” dolls, reflecting her biting satire.

*Tove Jansson and her Families* is expected to draw both longtime fans and new audiences by revealing fresh perspectives on an artist whose work continues to resonate across generations. The exhibition will be held at Clerkenwell’s Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration from November 21 to May 9.