Tove Jansson "Pessi and Illusia", a ballet by Ahti Sonninen ("Radio tekee murron") which was performed at the Finnish National Opera. By 1958, Jansson began to become directly involved in theater as Lilla Teater produced "Troll i kulisserna" ("Troll in the wings"), a play with lyrics by Jansson and music composed by Erna Tauro. The production was a success, and later performances were held in Sweden and Norway. In 1974 the first Moomin opera was produced, with music composed by Ilkka Kuusisto. The biennial Hans Christian Andersen Award conferred by the International Board on Books for Young People is the highest recognition
Society of Swedish Literature in Finland and Swedish culture in Finland were under threat from the Finnish side. Leading cultural figures endorsed the need for an organization to preserve and mediate the Swedish cultural heritage in Finland. At the same time they sought to strengthen the identity of the Swedish-speaking population, and its understanding of its own culture. Today SLS has over 1,100 members, with around 100 employees in Helsinki and Vaasa. The SLS archives are a rich source of knowledge about Swedish-speaking Finland, its history, traditions, literature, languages, everyday life and folk music. SLS documents contemporary society and accepts donations of cultural and historical material