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Sophia Jansson

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Sophia Jansson-Zambra (b. 1965) is the daughter of cartoonist Lars Jansson and the niece of the famous Finnish writer and painter Tove Jansson. Jansson-Zambra has worked as a Spanish language teacher,[1] is the majority shareholder and artistic director of Oy Moomin Characters, Ltd.,[2][3] 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-Zambra 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-Zambra 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.[2] 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 licenses in Finland and almost 300 abroad.[4] It has been listed as among the top Creative Export Companies of Finland in 2007.[5]

Since 1993, Jansson-Zambra, together with her father, has managed the production of a new series of Moomin strips which Jansson-Zambra now manages solely.[6]

In 2006 Jansson-Zambra acted took the role of director in the release of the CD, Muumipeikko ja Pyrstötähti".[7]

In 2008, the rediscovery by Jansson-Zambra 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.[8][9]

Jansson-Zambra 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.[10]

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. During this event, publishers presented works by Sophia Jansson and Johanna Sinisalo.[11] Jansson-Zambra 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-Zambra and her aunt.[12][13] She would write in more detail about this topic in 2006 in the Scandinavian Review.[14]

Jansson-Zambra has been credited in such books as Tove Jansson's 1989 Rent Spel[15] and Kate McLoughlin's and Malin Lidström Brock's 2007 Tove Jansson Rediscovered[16] among others.

Honors and awards

In 2001, following the death of her aunt, Jansson-Zambra went to the UK to help Sort Of Books promote the re-release of a Moomin picture book.[17]

In June 2004, Jansson-Zambra 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-Zambra represented Finnish children's literature during an engaging lecture and presentation.[18][19]

File:Tove Jansson and childrens culture Obverse.JPG
Tove Jansson and Finish Childrens Culture commemorative coin

In August 2004, Jansson-Zambra 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 Group[20]. She served as a judge in the selection of the coin's images[21], as well as the series of medals that were also issued[22].

Jansson-Zambra has featured in Paul Gravett's 2006 documentary film, Moomin's Memoirs, presented at the March 2007 Tove Jansson Conference in Oxford[23][24]. She also has appeared as the host of 1998's short film, Haru: The Island of the Solitary, Introduced by Sophia Jansson[25][26]

In 2006 Jansson-Zambra was invited as a notable speaker for one of the Monthly Luncheons hosted by IWC Helsinki[27].

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

In September 2008 Jansson-Zambra participated as a member of the Committee of Honor in the renowned IBBY World Congress[28].

Jansson-Zambra will be participating in the Helsinki Design Week 2008[29].

File:Tove Jansson and childrens culture Reverse.JPG
Commemorative silver coin launched by Jansson-Zambra in honor of Tove Janson's 90th anniversary. Artwork by Pertti Mäkinen[20].

Oy Moomin Characters, Ltd. website

References

  1. ^ Addressi Uiah.fi: "30116. Sophia Jansson-Zambra Espanjankielen opettaja". In Finnish. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
  2. ^ a b Muumilaaksolla menee hyvin. Ilpala, Merja. Turun Sanomat. May 15, 2004. In Finnish.
  3. ^ Suortti-Vuorio, Auli. Tove Jansson (1914 - 2001). Finnish Design. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
  4. ^ Räihä, Soile. Tove Jansson, The Moomin Business and Finnish Children. Finnish Institutions Research Paper, University of Tampere, 18 December 2005. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
  5. ^ TOP 30 Finnish International Companies in Creative Export. Digibusiness.fi, 2007. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
  6. ^ När Mumin Erövrade Världen. Ny Tid, 1 December 2000. In Swedish. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ Pääkkönen. Sirpa. Kansallisteatterissa kotimaisten syksy. Helsingin Sanomat, 11 August 2008. In Finnish. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
  9. ^ Urpremiär 28 augusti 2008: Kungen i Mumindalen. The Swedish Theatre in Helsinki. In Swedish. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
  10. ^ Lars Jansson. Lambiek Comiclopedia, 2008. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
  11. ^ Brittilehdet suosittelevat Tove Janssonin ja Johanna Sinisalon kirjoja. Embassy of Finland, Tokyo, 16 July 2003. In Finnish. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
  12. ^ Jaggi, Maya. Helsinki diary: Runes of song. The Guardian, 3 September 2005.
  13. ^ Suomalainen kirjallisuus hyvässä nosteessa Britanniassa. Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, London, 4 June 2003. In Finnish. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
  14. ^ Jansson, Sophia. Tove Jansson and Her Lovable Moomins. Scandinavian Review. 2006
  15. ^ Jansson, Tove. Rent spel. Helsinki: Holger Schildts Förlag, 1989.
  16. ^ McLoughlin, Kate and Brock, Malin Lidström ed. Tove Jansson Rediscovered. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. 2007. ISBN: 1-84718-269-0
  17. ^ Moomin book given new lease of life. Bookseller, 21 September 2001. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
  18. ^ Tove Jansson and Moomin in California. Consulate General of Finland, 16 June 2004. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
  19. ^ Children’s Literature Association comes to Fresno in 2004. Listserv, California State University Fresno. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
  20. ^ a b https://www.rahapaja.fi/en/press-releases/896/
  21. ^ http://www.rannikkoseudunsanomat.fi/2004/elokuu/100804/juhlarah.htm
  22. ^ http://www.mint.fi/en/documents/939/RP_YEAR04_ENG_final.pdf
  23. ^ http://www.ica.org.uk/?lid=12120
  24. ^ http://www.amscan.org/pdf/07_Scandinavia%20House%20Programs.pdf
  25. ^ http://www.lumifilm.fi/en/txt/Info_English_Haru.doc
  26. ^ Haru: The Island of the Solitary, Introduced by Sophia Jansson. New World Finn 7.2 (Spring 2007)
  27. ^ http://www.iwch.fi/activities.html
  28. ^ http://www.pca.albertslund.dk/Nyheder/2008/~/media/Institutioner/PCA/PCA_filer/Ibbyprogram08.ashx
  29. ^ http://www.helsinkidesignweek.com/
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