Tove Jansson (Sort Of Books)
To note that Tove Jansson is best known as creator of the Moomins is an understatement. It all but swallows the rest of her work, which included a parallel painting career and several books written for the adult market – such as this short story collection, freshly translated into English from the original Swedish. As it happens, keen Moomin acolytes might find a familiar note struck by the characterisation and dialogue in these 13 stories: understated, but conjuring vivid scenarios with relatively minimal detail. A depressed canoeist washes up on a secluded island during a storm; five schoolfriends, now elderly women, reunite for a waspish, irritable drinks party. Published in 1991, Letters From Klara seems to transcend eras – each story could be set anywhere from the 1950s to the present day, had their author not died 16 years ago. NG
Price: £8.99. Info: www.sortof.co.uk