BBC7

Raymond Briggs was born in London in the 1930s. His first ambition was to be a journalist but this soon changed to becoming a cartoonist.

At 15, he went to art school in Wimbledon, where he studied painting for four years, and decided he was definitely an "illustrator" and not an "artist". He continued at college studying printing and then went to do more painting at a famous art college, the Slade School.

He first worked in advertising but was soon illustrating picture books. His big breakthrough was in 1966 when he drew the pictures for a book of nursery rhymes, The Mother Goose Treasury.

Then he started to write his own stories as well as illustrating the books. Father Christmas was the first book where he used his now famous strip-cartoon style.

He continues to produce books for both adults and children in the same way, including the much loved The Snowman and he's won lots of awards.

His books include:

• The Snowman
• Father Christmas
• Fungus the Bogeyman