My aunt created The Moomins
Witness History17 Okt 2025

My aunt created The Moomins

The first Moomins story about a family of nature-loving white round trolls was published in 1945 during World War Two. The Moomins and the Great Flood was created by writer and artist Tove Jansson as a source of comfort during bleak times.

It highlighted the struggles of those who’d been displaced by war introducing readers into the lives of Moomintroll, Moominmamma and Moominpappa.

Tove's tales and illustrations, featuring the cuddly creatures with smooth round snouts, are loved the world over and have been published in more than 60 languages.

She was born in Finland but her first language was Swedish, which the original Moomins books were published in. Tove's niece Sophia Jansson, speaks to Reena Stanton-Sharma about growing up in a family surrounded by creativity and nature.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from the death of Adolf Hitler, the first spacewalk and the making of the movie Jaws, to celebrity tortoise Lonesome George, the Kobe earthquake and the invention of superglue. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: Eva Peron – Argentina’s Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous ‘tear down this wall’ speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler’s List; and Jacques Derrida, France’s ‘rock star’ philosopher. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the civil rights swimming protest; the disastrous D-Day rehearsal; and the death of one of the world’s oldest languages.

(Photo: Tove Jansson and the Moomins. Credit: © Moomin Characters™)

Episoder(2000)

The nuclear mango deal

The nuclear mango deal

On 2 March 2006, the United States and India finalised a controversial nuclear deal, ending India's three decades of international isolation over its nuclear policy. Sweetening the deal, President Geo...

16 Mar 11min

Casablanca: Making one of Hollywood’s greatest movies

Casablanca: Making one of Hollywood’s greatest movies

When Warner Bros assigned twin brothers and screenwriters Julius Epstein and Philip Epstein to adapt a stage play for the big screen in 1942, no one could have predicted the impact it would have. Casa...

13 Mar 10min

How Rang De Basanti inspired a generation

How Rang De Basanti inspired a generation

Released on India’s Republic Day in January 2006, the Hindi film Rang De Basanti, exploded onto the cultural landscape. In its first week, it shattered box office records and inspired thousands of you...

12 Mar 10min

I starred in Pan’s Labyrinth

I starred in Pan’s Labyrinth

In 2006, Ivana Baquero starred in Guillermo del Toro’s Spanish-language film Pan’s Labyrinth. The film tells the story of an 11-year-old girl who meets mythical creatures on a quest to achieve immort...

11 Mar 11min

My father directed Seven Samurai

My father directed Seven Samurai

Akira Kurosawa's film, Seven Samurai, is an epic three-and-a-half hour long black and white film set in 16th century Japan.It was released in 1954 and was the most expensive Japanese film ever made at...

10 Mar 10min

Triumph of the Will: A Nazi propaganda film

Triumph of the Will: A Nazi propaganda film

In 1934, one of the most controversial propaganda movies ever made - Triumph of the Will – was filmed at the Nazis’ Nuremberg rally. The two-hour picture was directed by Leni Riefenstahl, once descr...

9 Mar 10min

The invention of the mobility scooter

The invention of the mobility scooter

In 1967, American plumber Al Thieme promised his wife with multiple sclerosis that he would find her an alternative to a wheelchair. He came up with a battery-powered seat on wheels. He called it an ‘...

6 Mar 10min

India’s first nuclear test

India’s first nuclear test

In May 1974 India successfully detonated its first atomic device. It had been developed in secret with the codename Smiling Buddha. India called it a peaceful nuclear explosion, though the experimenta...

5 Mar 9min

Populært innen Samfunn

rss-spartsklubben
giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
konspirasjonspodden
aftenpodden-usa
popradet
rss-nesten-hele-uka-med-lepperod
rss-henlagt-andy-larsgaard
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
min-barneoppdragelse
grenselos
wolfgang-wee-uncut
synnve-og-vanessa
frokostshowet-pa-p5
rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
rss-dannet-uten-piano
fladseth
alt-fortalt
198-land-med-einar-trnquist
relasjonspodden-med-dora-thorhallsdottir-kjersti-idem