Moomins milestone marked with Bradford screening
A long-running cartoon book series will be celebrated for its work highlighting inclusion and refugees at an event hosted by a University of Bradford academic.
The ‘Conversation x Cine Spotlights: Moomins on the Riviera’ held on Friday 23 May from 18:30 at the National Science and Media Museum, Bradford, will be introduced by Dr Becky Alexis-Martin, Lecturer in Peace, Science, and Technology at the University.
The event, to mark the popular cartoon’s 80th birthday, will feature the screening of the ‘Moomins on the Riviera’ series and a questions and answers session.
Dr Alexis-Martin said: “I grew up with the Moomins. They resonate with all of us as the stories are written with compassion and humour with a focus on inclusion. They are always welcoming guests and having tea together.
“The Moomin family have an open-door policy to neighbours and friends. It’s a compassionate way to think about life. It is about being principled, supportive and being part of your local community.
“When we think about Bradford as a city, it’s the perfect place for us to have a Moomins event. It is a City of Sanctuary, and everyone has a space to feel at home. We could all engage in ‘Moomin-ology’ to include everyone.”
Dr Becky Alexis-Martin, Lecturer in Peace, Science, and Technology at the University, will introduce ‘Conversation x Cine Spotlights: Moomins on the Riviera’ on May 23. Images credit: University of Bradford
Who are the Moomins?
The Moomins cartoons were first published in 1945. The family of white, round fairytale trolls live in Moominvalley and feature in a series of novels, short stories, picture books, and a comic strip by the Finnish writer and illustrator Tove Jansson.
The family of ‘Moomintrolls’ become refugees after a flood washes away their home. The story includes the struggles of rebuilding lives after disaster.
The event’s panel members
The Q&A at ‘The Conversation x Cine Spotlights: Moomins on the Riviera’ features Dr Alexis-Martin, Isabel Joely Black, an academic specialising in magic and medicine in Greco-Roman Egypt; Melanie Ramdarshan Bold, professor of youth literature and culture at the University of Glasgow, where she teaches and researches children’s and young adult literature, Steve Nash, a writer and academic, and Amelia Huw Morgan, senior lecturer in illustration at Cardiff School of Art & Design.
Go to scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/cinema/moomins-riviera to book a place for the event.
A limited number of tickets for the Moomins event are available to University of Bradford students who are from Palestine and Ukraine. Email b.alexis-martin@bradford.ac.uk for more information.
Meanwhile, Dr Alexis-Martin delivered a statement to the Scientific Advisory Group for the third meeting of member state parties for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, held at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York in March.
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