Britain’s best illustrators pay homage to The Snowman at 40

The Snowman is synonymous with Christmas for many people and this year, the iconic Raymond Briggs character celebrates his 40th birthday.

There have been all sorts of commemorative events and creative projects to mark this special anniversary, including a new novelisation of the story by Sir Michael Morpurgo and an exhibition of original artwork at Brighton Museum.

The latest lovely tribute to this magical tale is a collection of artworks by leading picture book illustrators, who have each created their own version of the character.

Quentin Blake, John Burningham, Adam Hargreaves, Shirley Hughes, Helen Oxenbury; Chris Riddell, Posy Simmonds, Andy Stanton and Ed Vere have all contributed pieces, along with quotes and messages about what The Snowman means to them.

The images are now on display at Brighton Museum until 6 January 2019 and will be auctioned off in aid of Raymond’s chosen charity, Chestnut Tree House. Scroll down to see a few of the lots up for grabs. You can place a bid at fundraising.bid/mysnowman until 10pm on 6 January.