Finnish cartoonist, writer and artist Tove Jansson is undoubtedly best known for her famous children’s characters, The Moomins, whose books have been translated and read worldwide. She also published twelve adult novels and multiple short stories, yet she saw writing as a hobby, something to accompany her visual art.

As an artist, Jansson had solo exhibitions, created public works and murals, and was head designer for Garm magazine in the 1940s, where she illustrated around 100 of their covers. 

The Island is a short story that was originally published in a travel magazine. This English translation, here on The Paris Review, likens it to an essay and prose poem that gives the reader a glimpse into the time Jansson spent on the island of Klovharu where she built her famous summerhouse.

Writing

When painting her Lynx Boa self-portrait, Janssen said: “I don’t know yet whether it’s good or bad, I simply paint.”

Try this: Create a self-portrait in words. Simply write what you see.

We’d love to see what you come up with, if you’d like to share.

Photo by Pejman Nikram on Unsplash