The Common Press is delighted to host and welcome back another Moomin Pride event on Saturday, 6th June from 1 pm - 8 pm following our landmark collaboration on the very first Moomin Pride celebration in 2024. This year marks the continuation of an annual tradition celebrating storytelling, imagination, queerness, and community, now taking place at The Common Press’s new bookshop venue in Stoke Newington. Browse and buy Moomin books and queer literature from the bookshop. RSVP for free day entry tickets and sign up for the biopic film screening of Tove by Zaida Bergroth, a depiction on the life of Tove Jansson, showing both her personal relationships, and the creation of the popular Moomin books. See tickets below (limited tickets available).
Celebrate Pride with Moomin across the day (from 1 pm - 5 pm), visitors of all ages and families are invited into a warm and inclusive programme inspired by the world of the Moomin. The daytime will feature a Moomin storytime session for families and attendees with Liz Fost, bringing the beloved characters and their gentle, imaginative universe to life through performance and reading. Alongside this, Dr Ronx will lead their How to Save a Life workshop, which equips participants with practical emergency response and life-saving skills. The daytime celebration will end with singing and readings by performance artist Gigi Zahir.
In the evening, the event shifts into a biopic film screening (6 pm - 8:45 pm) of the extraordinary life of Finnish writer Tove Jansson, the visionary creator of the Moomin. The screening will be followed by a discussion featuring Ben Pechey and Paul Gravett, offering insight into Jansson’s artistic legacy, queer cultural significance, and her enduring influence on literature, illustration, and contemporary storytelling.
We're delighted to welcome back Moomin Pride to The Common Press, especially as one of the flagship events in our new venue in Stoke Newington. There’s a real affection for these stories among our team and the values they represent. The first Moomin Pride was an incredible moment, completely sold out, with queues stretching down the street. Bringing it back in this new space feels both like a celebration and a continuation of something very special. - Moomins Characters LTD
Event Information
Liz Fost | Storyteller
Session: Storytime and readings for families and all ages.
@ 2pm - 3pm (Ground floor)
Liz Fost originally trained as an actor at Middlesex University and Drama Studio London, before going on to work extensively across theatre and television. Her screen work includes appearances in Doctor Who, a cameo as Marge Simpson in the Simpsons Cinema Promo, and several years as a presenter on the BBC children’s programme Playdays.
Liz has dedicated her professional life to producing and creating work for and with young people. She has worked with leading children’s theatre companies including Norwich Puppet Theatre, Unicorn Theatre, and Polka Theatre, alongside writing and performing her own storytelling shows at venues across the UK.
In addition to her acting and writing work, Liz has also built an extensive career as a puppeteer, performing both on stage and for television.
Dr Ronx Ikharia | Speaker & Workshop host
Session: How to Save a Life workshop for all ages and families.
@ 3 pm - 4 pm (Ground Floor)
Dr Ronx is an award-winning trans non-binary emergency medicine doctor, broadcaster, writer, author, and public speaker. On screen, they are best known for their role as a presenter on Operation Ouch!, where they have helped make healthcare and science accessible, engaging, and empowering for young audiences and families across the UK.
Dr Ronx also leads workshops such as How to Save a Life, which equips participants with practical emergency response and life-saving skills. Their work combines medical expertise with humour, and a strong commitment to community education, inclusion, and accessible learning.
Gigi Zahir | Performing artist
Session: Singing and storytime for all ages and families.
@ 4pm - 4:45pm (Ground Floor)
A stupendously talented performer - Musical Theatre Review
They are what one can simply describe as The Moment - Broadway World
Gigi Zahir (formerly known as Crayola) is a non-binary, mixed-race musical theatre maker and performer. After years of performing as Crayola. They have boldly set down their crown, re-entering the cabaret world as an all-singing, shape-shifting drag performer.
They’ve performed everywhere from basement bars to the West End, opened for Chappell Roan, and are currently developing UnHinged, a new musical comedy about queer dating in the digital age. Gigi has been a guest lecturer at The London College of Music since 2024.
Recent theatre credits include: Wicked Witches (The Pleasance), Acid’s Reign (Relish Theatre), Frankie Goes To Bollywood (Rifco, UK Tour/Southbank Centre) and Cinderella (Stratford East), which saw them nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2023 UK Pantomime Awards.
About Film
Session: Tove Film Screening @6pm - 8:45pm .
Set in 1945 Helsinki, TOVE follows artist and writer Tove Jansson as she embraces post-war freedom, explores modern art and falls into a passionate relationship with theatre director Vivica Bandler. As she struggles with love, identity and her father’s expectations, the stories she creates about the Moomins unexpectedly bring international fame and financial independence. TOVE is a moving portrait of creativity, queer desire and one woman’s search for artistic and personal freedom in a changing world.
Director: Zaida Bergroth | Writers: Eeva Putro, Jarno Elonen.
Duration: 1 hr 43 mins | Doors open at 5:30 pm
Ben Pechey | Host / speaker
Session: Biopic film screening of Tove Jansson plus Q&A with Paul Gravett
@ 6 pm- 8:45 pm (Basement)
Ben Pechey is an award winning non-binary & intersex author, presenter, DEI consultant, and LGBT+ educator.
They are the author of ‘The Book of Non-Binary Joy’ - picked as Top Self Help Book by Forbes - and ‘Your Gender Book’. They are also an ambassador for Diversity Role Models. Ben is a TEDx speaker, their talk focused on ensuring trans and non-binary people can find joy every day. They were featured in Diva Magazine’s & The Guardian’s 2024, 2025, & 2026 Power List - Top 100 visionaries blazing a trail for LGBTQIA+ women and non-binary people. They were also featured in the 2026 Trans in the City Changemakers List.
Paul Gravett | Speaker | writer
Session: Biopic film screening of Tove Jansson plus Q&A with Ben Pechey
@ 6pm - 8:45pm ( Basement)
Paul Gravett is a London-based journalist, curator, writer, and broadcaster who has worked in comics publishing since 1981. Paul provides fresh insight into and a deep appreciation for the life and art of Tove Jansson, one of the most original, influential, and perennially enjoyed illustrators of the twentieth century. Paul Gravett examines Jansson's highly successful Moomin books, as well as her interpretations of classics such as Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and The Hunting of the Snark, and J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit.
N.B. The ground floor is step-free but unfortunately, the basement is not wheelchair accessible, and there are currently no wheelchair-accessible toilets (we are working on this).