There are many who associate their childhood with Raymond Briggs. And it is that he is responsible for the mythical and popular children’s book The Snowman (1978). This Wednesday there are many who admit to being a little more orphaned after learning of his death yesterday, as confirmed by his own family and the publisher Penguin Random House.
It is a particularly famous work in the United Kingdom although increasingly in different parts of the world. It only contains illustrations and was adapted for television. It is also common for it to appear in the theater as a musical at Christmas.
The Snowman tells the story of a boy who wakes up after a heavy snowfall and builds a snowman that then magically comes to life. A success in bookstores that came to sell more than 5.5 million copies worldwide despite not containing words.
“We know that Raymond’s books were loved and touched millions of people around the world, who will be saddened to hear this news,” his relatives say in a statement from the family, adding that Briggs lived “a rich and full life. “.”She shared her sense of fun and wackiness with her family and artist friends, at gatherings, costume parties and summer cookouts.”
Francesca Dow, general manager of children’s books at Penguin Random House, which published Briggs’s works, calls her books “painterly masterpieces that address some of the fundamental questions of being human, addressing both adults and children. with a remarkable economy of words and illustrations”.
Born in Wimbledon, south London, in 1934, Briggs studied at Wimbledon School of Art and the Slade School of Fine Art before turning briefly to painting. After becoming a professional illustrator, he worked and taught illustration at Brighton College of Art. His best known works were published between 1973 and 1984 and also included Santa Goes on Holiday and Ethel and Ernest.
He won numerous awards throughout his career, including the British Kurt Maschler Prize, dedicated to children’s literature. Briggs received the CBE – Commander of the British Empire – decoration for his services to literature.
