Sophia Jansson-Zambra

Infobox Person
name = Sophia Jansson-Zambra

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image_size =
caption =
birth_date = 1965
birth_place = Finland
occupation = Artistic director, Oy Moomin Characters, Ltd.
spouse =
children =


website = [http://www.moomin.fi/ Moomin]

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, [KOOMA [http://www.uiah.fi/kooma/addressi.php?sivu=60 Addressi] Uiah.fi: "30116. Sophia Jansson-Zambra Espanjankielen opettaja". In Finnish. Retrieved 18 September 2008.] is the majority shareholder and artistic director of Oy Moomin Characters, Ltd.,cite news|first = Merja|last = Ilpala|author = Merja Ilpala|title = Muumilaaksolla menee hyvin|url = http://www.turunsanomat.fi/talous/?ts=1,3:1004:0:0,4:4:0:1:2004-05-15,104:4:224695,1:0:0:0:0:0:|work = Turun Sanomat|location = Turku, Finland|date = 15 May 2004|accessdate = 2008-09-18|language = Finnish] [cite journal|last = Suortti-Vuorio|first = Auli|title = Tove Jansson (1914 - 2001)|journal = Finnish Design|url =http://www.finnishdesign.fi/designerbio?id=10254202|accessdate = 2008-09-25] 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. 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 [cite paper|last = Räihä|first = Soile|author = Soile Räihä|title = Tove Jansson, The Moomin Business and Finnish Children|publisher = Finnish Institutions Research Paper, University of Tampere|date = 2005-12-18|url = http://www.uta.fi/FAST/FIN/CULT/sr-moom.html|accessdate = 2008-09-18] . It has been listed as among the top Creative Export Companies of Finland in 2007 [cite web|url = http://www.digibusiness.fi/portal/content_business_channel/top_30_finnish_international_companies_in_creative_export/|title = TOP 30 Finnish International Companies in Creative Export|accessdate = 2008-09-18|accessdaymonth = 18 September|accessmonthday = September 18|accessyear = 2008|author = Irina Blomqvist|last = Blomqvist|first = Irina|year = 2007|work = Digibusiness.fi|location = Finland] .

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 [cite news|first = Maria|last = Ånger|author = Maria Ånger|title = När Mumin Erövrade Världen|url = http://www.nytid.fi/arkiv/artikelnt-684-1577.html|work = Ny Tid|publisher = Damm|location = Norway|date = 1 December 2000|accessdate = 2008-09-18|language = Swedish] .

In 2006 Jansson-Zambra took the role of director in the release of the CD, "Muumipeikko ja Pyrstötähti" [Poijärvi, Timo. [http://www.muumimusiikki.com/story.html Story Behind This Album: All fun projects do have their own story. So does this CD album] . Muumimusiikki.com, 2006. Retrieved 18 September 2008.] .

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 [cite news|first = Sirpa|last = Pääkkönen|author = Sirpa Pääkkönen|title = Kansallisteatterissa kotimaisten syksy|url = http://www.hs.fi/kulttuuri/artikkeli/Kansallisteatterissa+kotimaisten+syksy/1135238534011|work = Helsingin Sanomat|location = Helsinki, Finland|date = 11 August 2008|accessdate = 2008-09-18|language = Finnish] [cite web|url = http://www.svenskateatern.fi/sve/kungenimumindalen|title = Urpremiär 28 augusti 2008: Kungen i Mumindalen|accessdate = 2008-09-18|accessdaymonth = 18 September|accessmonthday = September 18|accessyear = 2008|work = The Swedish Theatre in Helsinki|location = Helsinki, Finland|language = Swedish] .

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 [ [http://lambiek.net/artists/j/jansson_lars.htm Lars Jansson] . Lambiek Comiclopedia, 2008. Retrieved 18 September 2008.] .

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 [cite book|last = Jansson|first = Tove|authorlink = Tove Jansson|title = Sommarboken|publisher = Schildts/Albert Bonniers Förlag|year = 1972|isbn = 9515000181 ] . During this event, publishers presented works by Sophia Jansson and Johanna Sinisalo [cite press release|title = Brittilehdet suosittelevat Tove Janssonin ja Johanna Sinisalon kirjoja|publisher = Finnish Embassy in Tokyo|date = 2003-07-16|language = Finnish|url = http://www.finland.or.jp/article.asp?intNWSAID=16208&LAN=FI&|accessdate = 2008-09-18] . 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, Tove Jansson [cite news|first = Maya|last = Jaggi|author = Maya Jaggi|title = Helsinki diary: Runes of song|url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2005/sep/03/featuresreviews.guardianreview|work = The Guardian|location = London, England|date = 3 September 2005|accessdate = 2008-09-25] [cite press release|title = Suomalainen kirjallisuus hyvässä nosteessa Britanniassa|publisher = Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, London|date = 2003-06-04|language = Finnish|url = http://www.finemb.org.uk/public/?contentid=98095&contentlan=1&culture=fi-FI|accessdate = 2008-09-18] . She would write in more detail about this topic in 2006 in the Scandinavian Review [cite journal|last = Jansson|first = Sophia|authorlink = Sophia Jansson-Zambra|year = 2006|title = Tove Jansson and Her Lovable Moomins|journal = Scandinavian Review|url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3760/is_200610/ai_n19197999?tag=content;col1|accessdate = 2008-09-25] .

Jansson-Zambra has been credited in such books as Tove Jansson's 1989 "Rent Spel" [cite book|last = Jansson|first = Tove|authorlink = Tove Jansson|title = Rent spel|publisher = Holger Schildts Förlag|year = 1989|isbn = 9789515004673 ] and Kate McLoughlin's and Malin Lidström Brock's 2007 "Tove Jansson Rediscovered" [cite book|last = McLoughlin|first = Kate|last2 = Brock|first2 = Malin Lidström|title = Tove Jansson Rediscovered|publisher = Cambridge Scholars Publishing|year = 2007|isbn = 1-84718-269-0 ] among others.

Jansson-Zambra has appeared as the host of 1998's short film, "Haru: The Island of the Solitary, Introduced by Sophia Jansson" [ [http://www.lumifilm.fi/en/txt/Info_English_Haru.doc Haru - The Island of the Solitary - Film Info - Short Description] . ] [cite video|people = Sophia Jansson-Zambra (host), Kanerva Cedersteröm (director), Riikka Tanner (co-director)|title = Haru: The Island of the Solitary, Introduced by Sophia Jansson|medium = documentary|publisher = New World Finn|year2 = Spring 2007] . She has also featured in Paul Gravett's 2006 documentary film, "Moomin's Memoirs," presented at the March 2007 Tove Jansson Conference in Oxford [cite web|url = http://www.ica.org.uk/?lid=12120|title = Moomin Memoirs|accessdate = 2008-09-25|accessdaymonth = 25 September|accessmonthday = September 25|accessyear = 2008|date = 22 October 2006|year = 2006|month = October|work = Institute of Contemporary Arts|location = London] [cite press release|title = Scandinavia House Programs|publisher = Scandinavia House, New York|date = 2007|format = PDF|url = http://www.amscan.org/pdf/07_Scandinavia%20House%20Programs.pdf|accessdate = 2008-09-25] .

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 [cite journal|date = 21 September 2001|year = 2001|month = September|title = Moomin book given new lease of life|journal = Bookseller|url = http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/miscellaneous-retail-miscellaneous/4651227-1.html|accessdate = 2008-09-18] .

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 [cite press release|title = Tove Jansson and Moomin in California|publisher = Finnish Embassy in Los Angeles|date = 2004-06-16|url = http://www.finland.org/netcomm/news/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=25130&intSubArtID=12361&intIGID=25&intCatID=660&LAN=EN&contlan=&Thread=25130,23487,&intThreadPosition=0 |accessdate = 2008-09-18] [cite mailing list|url=https://listserv.csufresno.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A3=ind0404&L=BULLETINBOARD&E=quoted-printable&P=814919&B=------%3D_NextPart_000_0006_01C4208A.28D993E0&T=text%2Fhtml;%20charset=iso-8859-1|title= Children’s Literature Association comes to Fresno in 2004|accessdate=2008-09-18|mailinglist= Listserv, California State University Fresno] .

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. She served as a judge in the selection of the coin's images [cite news|first = Arja|last = Laiho|author = Arja Laiho|title = Hopeinen juhlaraha Tove Janssonin elämäntyön kunniaksi|url = http://www.rannikkoseudunsanomat.fi/2004/elokuu/100804/juhlarah.htm|work = Rannikkoseudun arkisto|date = 8 August 2004|accessdate = 2008-09-25|language = Finnish] , as well as the series of medals that were also issued [cite conference|first = Raimo|last = Makkonen|year = 2004|title = Mint of Finland Group Annual Report 2004|location = Finland|url = http://www.mint.fi/en/documents/939/RP_YEAR04_ENG_final.pdf|format = PDF|accessdate = 2008-09-25] .

In 2006 Jansson-Zambra was invited as a notable speaker for one of the Monthly Luncheons hosted by IWC Helsinki [cite web|url = http://www.iwch.fi/activities.html|title = Activities - Monthly Luncheon|accessdate = 2008-09-25|accessdaymonth = 25 September|accessmonthday = September 25|accessyear = 2008|year = 2006|work = International Women's Club|location = Helsinki, Finland] .

In February 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 [cite conference|first = Jan|last = Tøth|date = September 7-10, 2008|year = 2008|month = September|title = IBBY World Congress 2008|conference = IBBY World Congress 2008|conferenceurl = http://www.ibby2008.dk|editor = Vagn Plenge|location = Copenhagen, Denmark|url = http://www.pca.albertslund.dk/Nyheder/2008/~/media/Institutioner/PCA/PCA_filer/Ibbyprogram08.ashx|format = ASHX|accessdate = 2008-09-25] .

Jansson-Zambra will be participating in the Helsinki Design Week 2008 [ [http://www.helsinkidesignweek.com Helsinki Design Week 2008] . 2008.] .

External links

[http://www.moomin.fi/moomin.htm Oy Moomin Characters, Ltd. website]

References