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
Naantali Naantali Naantali (; ) is a town in south-western Finland, known as one of the most important tourist centres of the country. The municipality has a population of (), and is located in the region of Southwest Finland, west of Turku. The town encompasses a land area of . Most of this area is located on the islands, but the majority of the population lives on the mainland. Most of the islands are covered with forest and farmland, while the mainland consists chiefly of residential areas. One of the oldest towns in Finland, Naantali was founded around the mediaeval Brigittine