Raymond Briggs is one of the world’s best-selling children’s book authors and illustrators, loved and admired by children and adults alike.  His hilarious and beautifully crafted books have brought him great success internationally, particularly in Japan where he has achieved cult status.  

Raymond Briggs_July 2010

The Raymond Briggs franchise, based on a series of 21 books, 1 animated movie and 5 TV Special adaptations, is a hugely successful one.  His best known book The Snowman has sold around 3.2 million copies worldwide and is available in 13 different countries.  It was adapted into an animated TV Special which was subsequently nominated for an Oscar® for best animated short.

The film of The Snowman has become a national institution for British children, broadcasting on Channel 4 every Christmas, and the story has also been turned into a hugely successful stage show which regularly tours the world and runs every Christmas in The West End of London.  The merchandise market for The Snowman licensed products has grown year on year, increasing by 210% in the last 5 years.  It is currently worth around £5 million annually in the UK alone. Since launch, The Snowman DVD has sold over 10 million units worldwide and continues to sell well each year.  In Japan The Snowman DVD is handled by Aniplex (formerly Sony Visual Works), in the US by Sony Home Video, and in the UK by Universal. 

Raymond Briggs has won many awards including the prestigious Kate Greenway Medal and Smarties Prize.  Ethel & Ernest is considered by many critics to be his best book.  It was published by Random House in 1998 and won Best Illustrated Book Of The Year at the 1999 British Book Awards.  The book has since sold in the region of 250,000 copies in the UK, and is also published in the US, France and Japan. Since 2008 Raymond has been working closely with director Roger Mainwood on the screen-play for Ethel & Ernest.

Raymond Briggs interview  http://www.teachers.tv/videos/raymond-briggs