Acclaimed British actor Bill Nighy has pledged his support for The Invisible Child campaign by Moomin Characters Ltd and British charity Oxfam, by recording a reading of the short story that inspired the campaign for The Guardian.
“Bill Nighy has all the qualities Tove Jansson valued”
Sophia Jansson, the niece of Tove Jansson and creative director of Moomin Characters, said: ‘We’ve been overwhelmed by the amazing response that we have had to The Invisible Child campaign, with over 40,000 copies sold already and every penny going to Oxfam.’
Bill Nighy is a celebrated English actor and voice artist who has worked in theatre and appeared in films such as Love Actually, Pirates of the Caribbean, Gideon’s Daughter, Shaun of the Dead, and Underworld.
Sophia Jansson thinks Nighy is an excellent choice for reading The Invisible Child, hoping that his recording will introduce more people to the magic of the Moomins and help Moomin Characters raise even more money for Oxfam’s vital work around the world.
‘Bill is the perfect person to have read the story, as he has filled it with wonder, compassion and mischief – all things that Tove valued greatly – and we’re so thrilled to have his support.’
Podcast music from the upcoming Moominvalley TV animation
Nikki Van Der Gaag, Oxfam’s Director of Gender Justice and Women’s Rights said: ‘Listeners will love Bill reading this story of a little girl who finds her voice and thrives when shown kindness and support. Oxfam thanks Moomin Characters Ltd and Bill Nighy for their big-hearted contributions, and The Guardian for making this podcast possible. We hope the recording will boost book sales of The Invisible Child. Oxfam supports women and women’s organisations to access education, to have decent and fair work, and live a life free of violence. We provide emergency food, shelter, clean water and lighting in refugee camps so the most vulnerable survive. This tender tale is echoed in every country where Oxfam works as courageous women are able to find their own voices.’
The music used in the recording is by Finnish musicians Pekka Kuusisto and Samuli Kosminen and is a sample from the upcoming Moominvalley TV animation.
The power of giving girls a voice
The Invisible Child campaign aims to help women and girls around the world fight inequality and escape poverty for good. As part of the campaign, Moomin Characters and Oxfam launched a special edition book including the short stories The Invisible Child and The Fir Tree.
In Great Britain, the book, published by Sort of Books, is available to buy from Oxfam, Waterstones and the Moomin Shops in Covent Garden and Camden Market. You can also buy the book in our web shop, where 4€ of the price is donated to Oxfam’s women’s projects worldwide. Over 303 000 € has already been raised through book sales and The Invisible Child merchandise including a tote bag, tea towel, and handkerchief.
The Invisible Child is one of Tove Jansson’s most loved short stories
The Invisible Child is a short story by Moomin creator Tove Jansson, about a little girl who turns invisible after being badly treated by the woman supposedly caring for her. She is given a place to stay at the Moominhouse and, when shown warmth, kindness and respect by the Moomin family, she gradually reappears and regains her place in the world – a right that every woman and girl should have.
You can read more about the launch of Moomin Characters’ and Oxfam’s campaign and its results in our previous blog posts.
Pictures copyright: Oxfam
The header picture shows Bill Nighy with garment workers outside their dormitories in Yangon Myanmar on an Oxfam trip in 2016.