London has a soft spot for literature-themed exhibitions, and the next one to keep on your radar is all about Tove Jansson, the Finnish artist and writer behind the Moomins. A show titled 'Tove Jansson and Her Families' is being covered by Secret London, and it promises a closer look at the woman behind the hippo-ish trolls who have charmed readers since the 1940s.

If your only exposure to Moomins is a slightly melancholy cartoon, the exhibition angle should be a pleasant surprise. Jansson was a serious painter and illustrator long before the Moomin books took off, and her work draws heavily on her own unusual family - a sculptor mother, a bohemian artist circle, and a life split between Helsinki and the remote Finnish island of Klovharu. Shows like this typically pair original drawings and book illustrations with paintings and personal material, so you come away understanding the families, both real and invented, that fed the stories.

For travellers, the timing matters. London's big museums get crowded and expensive, but smaller gallery exhibitions like this are usually ticketed, timed-entry affairs where you can actually see the artwork. They also tend to be located in leafy neighbourhoods worth exploring in their own right - a gallery visit plus lunch and a park stroll makes for a very good low-key London day.

It's also a rare chance to catch Finnish material in the UK. Jansson's mix of Scandinavian calm and gentle absurdism has made the Moomins a Nordic cultural export on par with Little My's temper, and London is one of the few cities outside Finland where you'll regularly find her work exhibited.

Practicalities: check the venue's website for ticket prices and opening hours before you go, as niche exhibitions often close earlier than the big institutions and can sell out on weekends. Pair the visit with a wander through the surrounding area, and if you get hooked on Jansson afterwards, the definitive pilgrimage is to Finland - the Moomin Museum in Tampere and Moominworld theme park in Naantali are the real deal.

Whether you're travelling with kids who know the characters or you're just after a quieter cultural fix between the usual London sights, this one is an easy addition to the itinerary.

Via Secret London.