Moominland Tales

Yesterday I finished reading the three Moominland books which I had borrowed from the library, and great fun they are too ! I didn't remember anything from Comet in Moominland, so it's possible I hadn't read that one before, but I remembered snippets of Finn Family Moomintroll and more of Moominland Midwinter. Comet in Moominland centres around a comet ("the star with a tail" as many of the characters call it) and Moomintroll's trip with his friend Snufkin and Sniff to find out more about it, when it will arrive and whether it will hit the Earth. On the way they meet the Snork and his sister the Snork Maiden, with whom Moomintroll is very taken ! I enjoyed Moomintroll Midwinter the best, because Moomintroll's experience of his first ever winter (Moomins usually hibernate) was fascinating. These books are gentle, light-hearted and good-humoured explorations of the idea of lots of different people (creatures) all being friends, in spite of their differences, which is a message that will never go out of date. I will have to see if the library has any more Moominland tales.

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I've just received my assignments for the Women in Science Fiction and Fantsay Encyclopaedia which I mentioned last month. I've been invited to write on Quest Fantasy (1500 words) and Norse Mythology (500) - payment will be a copy of the two volume Encyclopaedia (not to be sneezed at as American scholarly books are generally expensive !) So that's me busy until the Autumn !