Just what is the appeal of children’s characters The Moomins? The white trolls with big noses – which somewhat resemble hippopotamuses – have been a favourite since their creation by Finnish writer Tove Jansson at the tail end of the Second World War.
Perhaps it’s because they somehow manage to straddle that line between spooky yet also quite loveable, like The Addams Family.
Whatever draws people to them has caused publisher Barnes & Noble to invest heavily in the characters.
Its bringing Moomin books to the market, and is even going to try selling them in America, a market the characters have never quite cracked. There’s something very European about Moomins that the USA has never quite taken to; perhaps Jansson included a part about socialised medicine that they couldn’t quite understand?
Barnes & Noble has flooded shops with books, bags and mugs based on Moomins, but the publisher is not stopping there. There’s also a forthcoming podcast that has two big-name hosts.
Emily In Paris star Lily Collins is teaming up with Absolutely Fabulous host Jennifer Saunders to investigate The Moomin Phenomenon.
Both are self-confessed Moomin fans who will be unearthing and exploring the Moomin world and its curious characters to understand how it has become such a vast, worldwide phenomenon.
The pair will be travelling to many Moomin locations around the globe, from a unique treasure trove in the heart of Helsinki, to Tove Jansson’s legendary studio where she created her characters. They even pop off to Tokyo, Japan, which was home to not one but two Moomin Cafes.
The Coldest Case In Laramie
Kim Barker, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter, revisits an unsolved murder that took place while she was in high school in Laramie, Wyoming, nearly 40 years ago.
She confronts the conflicting stories people have told themselves about the crime because of an unexpected development: the arrest of a former Laramie police officer accused of the murder.
Seasoned
The Black Swan isn’t like any other restaurant. Michelin-starred chef Tommy Banks uses seasonal ingredients, sourced from his family farm, to create award-winning dishes that live long in the memory.
Tommy has never revealed the secrets behind his delicious creations, but now – with the help of celebrity guests – he’s opening the doors to show exactly how his seasonal menu is made.
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