Notes from an Island

In the autumn of 1963, Tove Jansson and Brunström built a cabin on Klovharun in the Gulf of Finland. They spent thirty summers there, living, painting, and writing. Notes from an Island is a chronicle of this period and a homage to their mature love for the island and each other. Tove's spare prose and Tuulikki's subtle washes and aquatints combine to form a work of meditative beauty.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 112 pages
\n Publication date: 07 October 2021
\n Publisher: Sort of Books
\n

In the wintry autumn of 1963, Tove Jansson, aided by the unconventional fisherman Brunström, embarked on a mission to construct a cabin on a barren skerry in the Gulf of Finland. The island was named Klovharun, and for thirty summers, Tove and her beloved partner, the graphic artist Tuulikki Pietilä, sought solace and inspiration there, retreating to live, paint, and write amidst the solitude and ever-changing seascapes. This remarkable period is documented in her book, Notes from an Island, which is now being published in English for the first time. Tove's concise prose, complemented by Tuulikki's delicate washes and aquatints, creates a work of meditative beauty.

While Tooti wandered aimlessly around the island, standing motionless for extended periods, I assumed I understood her purpose. She was once again engaged in her artistic endeavors. Copperplate etchings and wash drawings dominated her repertoire, primarily focusing on the lagoon. The lagoon, with its ability to mirror clouds and birds, its transformation during storms, and its eerie presence in fog, became her muse. But above all, the granite stood out as her primary subject. The towering cliffs, the rugged rocks, and the serene ambiance they exuded captured her attention. At that moment, the island was enveloped in a profound sense of tranquility.

\n Weight: 432g\n
Dimension: 301 x 293 x 15 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781908745934\n
Edition number: Main\n