Raymond Briggs

A celebrated author and illustrator, best-known for his daring and emotionally complex work for children, Raymond Briggs began his career in advertising before beginning to illustrate children’s books.

He first came to public attention when he won a Kate Greenaway Award for his illustrations for The Mother Goose Treasury in 1966. He followed this with collaborations with popular authors including his work with Allan Ahlberg and his illustrations for Elfrida Vipont’s The Elephant and the Bad Baby, before beginning to write and illustrate his own works for children.

Amongst his best-loved stories, many of which have been adapted for television, are the seasonal classics Father Christmas and The Snowman, as well as Fungus the Bogeyman. Briggs also wrote and illustrated books for adults and won critical acclaim for his 1982 work, When the Wind Blows, a poignant and powerful graphic novel about the consequences of nuclear war, and 1998’s Ethel and Ernest, the moving cartoon account of his parents’ relationship over four decades. A fearless innovator and true original in his field, Briggs passed away in August 2022 at the age of 88.