The Moomin books, featuring lovable trolls with hippopotamus-like snouts who live in harmony with nature, have become a global publishing phenomenon, selling up to 30 million copies since the Finnish artist and writer Tove Jansson created them between 1945 and 1977. Now, a major exhibition in London will showcase more than 100 previously unseen drawings of Jansson’s beloved characters. Tove Jansson and her Families will open at the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration in November, marking the UK’s first major exhibition dedicated to Jansson’s illustrations. The event, announced on Thursday, will include sketches, photographs, films, and personal correspondence between Jansson and those close to her, as well as fans of all ages. The exhibition will highlight original art from Jansson’s first published book, The Moomins and the Great Flood, which portrays a world where everything is natural and kind. The story follows Moomintroll and his mother as they search for their missing father and eventually find their way to the magical Moominvalley. Jansson’s books celebrate themes like nature, friendship, tolerance, and individuality, enchanting readers of all ages. Translated into over 60 languages, they have inspired animated films, TV series, and even theme parks. Sophia Jansson, Tove’s niece and creative director of the Moomins Characters brand, said her aunt had a unique ability to touch readers on both a personal and universal level, disguising these themes in her stories. Among the previously unseen material will be a sketch of Moominpappa, a sea-loving adventurer with a giant shell, from an early draft of Moominpappa at Sea. This image, which Sophia had not seen before, exemplifies Jansson’s prolific creativity. Paul Gravett, a Jansson expert and guest curator at the Quentin Blake Centre, noted that the exhibition will include early drawings from Jansson’s childhood, showing her lifelong fascination with fantasy and dreams. Jansson was also known for her political cartoons, criticizing fascism during World War II. Her work often appeared in newspapers, including London’s Evening News, where her Moomin series first appeared in print in 1954. A sketch for one of her earliest comic strips will be on display, rescued from the trash by a fellow cartoonist. Gravett is currently working on a book about Jansson, following his 2022 study of her illustration work. The exhibition, Tove Jansson and her Families, will run from 21 November to 9 May at the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration in Clerkenwell, London.