Raymond Briggs was born in London in 1934. He is the author of the hugely successful children's books Father Christmas and The Snowman. These books have been translated into many languages and adapted into films, plays and TV cartoons. His other books include Fungus the Bogeyman, Ug, When the Wind Blows, Ethel & Ernest, a biography of his parents, and his latest, Time for Lights Out, a contemplation on old age, told through words and pictures.