Anthony Edward Tudor Browne (born 11 September 1946
[) is a British writer and illustrator of children's books, primarily ]picture books
A picture book combines visual and verbal narratives in a book format, most often aimed at young children. With the narrative told primarily through text, they are distinct from comics, which do so primarily through sequential images. The images ...
. Browne has written or illustrated over fifty books, and received the Hans Christian Andersen Award
The Hans Christian Andersen Awards are two literary awards given by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), recognising one living author and one living illustrator for their "lasting contribution to children's literature". Th ...
in 2000.[ From 2009 to 2011 he was ]Children's Laureate
Children's Laureate, now known as the 'Waterstones Children's Laureate' is a prestigious position awarded in the United Kingdom once every two years to a "writer or illustrator of children's books to celebrate outstanding achievement in their fie ...
.[
Browne won two ]Kate Greenaway Medal
The Kate Greenaway Medal is a British literary award that annually recognises "distinguished illustration in a book for children". It is conferred upon the illustrator by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) ...
s from the Library Association
The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, since 2017 branded CILIP: The library and information association (pronounced ), is a professional body for librarians, information specialists and knowledge management, knowle ...
, recognising the year's best children's book illustration. For the 50th anniversary of the Medal (1955–2005), a panel named his 1983 medalist ''Gorilla'' one of the top ten winning works, which composed the ballot for a public election of the nation's favourite.[
]
Life and work
Anthony Browne was born in Sheffield
Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...
, Yorkshire. His parents, Jack and Doris May Browne, ran a pub called the Red Lion (now the Wyke Lion) at Hellfire Corner between Bradford
Bradford is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a population of 349,561 at the 2011 ...
, and Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a market town in the Kirklees district in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confluence into ...
in West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...
, and Browne and his older brother Michael grew up there. As a young boy, he enjoyed art, and used to draw with his father. He also played rugby
Rugby may refer to:
Sport
* Rugby football in many forms:
** Rugby league: 13 players per side
*** Masters Rugby League
*** Mod league
*** Rugby league nines
*** Rugby league sevens
*** Touch (sport)
*** Wheelchair rugby league
** Rugby union: 1 ...
and cricket. His career ambition was then to be a journalist, a cartoonist
A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comic book illustrators in that they produce both the literary and ...
, or a boxer Boxer most commonly refers to:
* Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing
*Boxer (dog), a breed of dog
Boxer or boxers may also refer to:
Animal kingdom
* Boxer crab
* Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans
* Boxer snipe ee ...
.[ He studied ]graphic design
Graphic design is a profession, academic discipline and applied art whose activity consists in projecting visual communications intended to transmit specific messages to social groups, with specific objectives. Graphic design is an interdiscipli ...
at Leeds College of Art
Leeds Arts University is a specialist arts further and higher education institution, based in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, with a main campus opposite the University of Leeds.
History
It was founded in 1846 as the Leeds Schoo ...
, where he graduated in 1967.
When he finished school Browne intended to become a painter, but being short of money he took a job as a medical illustrator, producing detailed paintings of operations for Manchester Royal Infirmary
Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) is a large NHS teaching hospital in Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester, England. Founded by Charles White in 1752 as part of the voluntary hospital movement of the 18th century, it is now a major regional and nati ...
. After three years he grew tired of the job's repetitiveness and moved on to design greeting cards
A greeting card is a piece of card stock, usually with an illustration or photo, made of high quality paper featuring an expression of friendship or other sentiment. Although greeting cards are usually given on special occasions such as birthdays ...
for Gordon Fraser. He designed cards for five years before he started writing and illustrating his own books.
Browne's debut book both as writer and as illustrator was ''Through the Magic Mirror'', published by Hamish Hamilton
Hamish Hamilton Limited was a British book publishing house, founded in 1931 eponymously by the half-Scot half-American Jamie Hamilton (''Hamish'' is the vocative form of the Gaelic Seumas eaning James ''James'' the English form – which was ...
in 1976. ''A Walk in the Park'' followed next year and gained a cult following and ''Bear Hunt'' (1979) was more successful commercially.[ His breakthrough came with ''Gorilla'', published by Julia MacRae in 1983, based on one of his greeting cards. For it he won the ]Kate Greenaway Medal
The Kate Greenaway Medal is a British literary award that annually recognises "distinguished illustration in a book for children". It is conferred upon the illustrator by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) ...
from the Library Association
The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, since 2017 branded CILIP: The library and information association (pronounced ), is a professional body for librarians, information specialists and knowledge management, knowle ...
, recognising the year's best children's book illustration by a British subject
The term "British subject" has several different meanings depending on the time period. Before 1949, it referred to almost all subjects of the British Empire (including the United Kingdom, Dominions, and colonies, but excluding protectorates ...
.[
He was a highly commended runner-up for an edition of '']Alice in Wonderland
''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatur ...
'' (1988),[ he won the 1992 Medal for ''Zoo''][ and he was again highly commended for ''Willy's Pictures'' (2000).][
Gorillas are frequently featured in Browne's books, as he has said he is fascinated by them. He was once asked to present a children's programme, whilst sitting in a cage of gorillas, and despite being badly bitten by one of them he completed the interview before being taken to hospital.][ his character "Willy" is said to be based on himself.
Browne and writer ]Annalena McAfee
Annalena McAfee (born c.1952)Daniel Zalewsk"The Background Hum" ''New Yorker'', 23 February 2009. In this article about her husband, Ian McEwan, McAfee is aged 56; other sources claim she was born in 1948. Annalena is a British children's author ...
won the 1985 Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis
The (German Youth Literature Award) is an annual award established in 1956 by the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth to recognise outstanding works of children's and young adult literature. It is Germany's only ...
, Picture Book category, for ''Mein Papi, nur meiner!'' (The Visitors Who Came to Stay). He also won the Kurt Maschler Award
The Kurt Maschler Award (1982 to 1999) was a British literary award that annually recognised one "work of imagination for children, in which text and illustration are integrated so that each enhances and balances the other." Winning authors and ill ...
"Emil" three times, which annually (1982 to 1999) recognised one British "work of imagination for children, in which text and illustration are integrated so that each enhances and balances the other."[ Browne was a winner for ''Gorilla'' (Julia MacRae Books, 1983), ''Alice's Adventure in Wonderland'' (MacRae, 1988) and ''Voices in the Park'' (Doubleday, 1998), as the illustrator of all three books and the writer of two.][
In 2000 Browne was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Medal, an international award given to an illustrator for their body of work. This prize is the highest honour a children's writer or illustrator can win and Browne was the first British illustrator to receive the award.
In 2001–2002 Browne took a job as writer and illustrator at Tate Britain, working with children using art as a stimulus to inspire visual literacy and creative writing activities. It was during this time that Browne conceived and produced ''The Shape Game'' (Doubleday, 2003).
On 9 June 2009 he was appointed the sixth ]Children's Laureate
Children's Laureate, now known as the 'Waterstones Children's Laureate' is a prestigious position awarded in the United Kingdom once every two years to a "writer or illustrator of children's books to celebrate outstanding achievement in their fie ...
(2009–2011), selected by a panel that former Poet Laureate Andrew Motion
Sir Andrew Motion (born 26 October 1952) is an English poet, novelist, and biographer, who was Poet Laureate from 1999 to 2009. During the period of his laureateship, Motion founded the Poetry Archive, an online resource of poems and audio reco ...
chaired.[
Browne's books are translated into 26 languages and his illustrations have been exhibited in many countries including; The United States, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, France, Korea, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, and Taiwan. He currently lives in Canterbury, England.
Browne was appointed ]Commander of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(CBE) in the 2021 New Year Honours
The 2021 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebration ...
for services to literature.
Works
As writer and illustrator
* ''Through the Magic Mirror'' (Hamish Hamilton, 1976)
* ''A Walk in the Park'' (Hamilton, 1977)
* ''Bear Hunt'' (Hamilton, 1979)
* ''Look What I've Got!'' (Julia MacRae Books, 1980)
* ''Bear Goes To Town'' (Hamilton, 1982)
* ''Gorilla'' (MacRae, 1983) —winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal
The Kate Greenaway Medal is a British literary award that annually recognises "distinguished illustration in a book for children". It is conferred upon the illustrator by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) ...
for illustration[ and the Emil][
* ''Willy the Wimp'' (MacRae, 1984)
* ''Willy the Champ'' (MacRae, 1985)
* ''Piggybook'' (MacRae, 1986)
* ''I Like Books'' (MacRae, 1988)
* ''The Little Bear Book'' (Hamilton, 1988)
* ''A Bear-y Tale'' (Hamilton, 1989)
* ''Things I Like'' (MacRae, 1989)
* ''The Tunnel'' (MacRae, 1989)
* ''Changes'' (MacRae, 1990)
* ''Willy and Hugh'' (MacRae, 1991)
* ''Zoo'' (MacRae, 1992) —winner of the Greenaway Medal][
* ''The Big Baby: a little joke'' (MacRae, 1993)
* ''Willy the Wizard'' (MacRae, 1995)
* ''Willy the Dreamer'' (Walker, 1997)
* ''Voices in the Park'' (Doubleday, 1998) —winner of the Emil][
* ''My Dad'' (Doubleday, 2000)
* ''Willy's Pictures'' (Walker, 2000) —highly commended for the Greenaway][
* ''Anthony Browne Presents the Animal Fair: a spectacular pop-up'' (Walker,2002)
* ''The Shape Game'' (MacRae, 2003)
* ''Into the Forest'' (MacRae, 2004)
* ''My Mum'' (Doubleday, 2005)
* ''Silly Billy'' (Walker, 2006)
* ''My Brother'' (Doubleday, 2007)
* ''Little Beauty'' (Walker, 2008)
* ''Me and You'' (Doubleday, 2011) —a retelling of '']The Story of the Three Bears
"Goldilocks and the Three Bears" (originally titled "The Story of the Three Bears") is a 19th-century English fairy tale of which three versions exist. The original version of the tale tells of an obscene old woman who enters the forest home ...
'' in a contemporary setting
* ''Play the Shape Game'' (Walker, 2011)
* ''How Do You Feel?'' (Walker, 2011, )
* ''One Gorilla, A Counting Book'' (Walker, 2012)
* ''What If...?'' (Doubleday, 2013)
* ''Willy's Stories'' (Walker, 2014)
* ''Frida and Bear'' (Walker, 2015)
* ''Willy and the Cloud'' (Walker, 2016)
* ''Hide and Seek'' (Doubleday, 2017, )
As illustrator
* ''Hansel and Gretel'' by Brothers Grimm
The Brothers Grimm ( or ), Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786–1859), were a brother duo of German academics, philologists, cultural researchers, lexicographers, and authors who together collected and published folklore. They are among the ...
(MacRae, 1981)
* ''The Visitors Who Came to Stay'' by Annalena McAfee (Hamilton, 1984) – winner of the 1985 German youth literature prize for picture books in its German-language
German ( ) is a West Germanic language mainly spoken in Central Europe. It is the most widely spoken and official or co-official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Italian province of South Tyrol. It is also a c ...
translation retaining Browne's illustrations
* ''Knock, knock! Who's there?'' by Sally Grindley (Hamilton, 1985), picture book
* ''Kirsty Knows Best'' by Annalena McAfee (MacRae, 1987), picture book
* ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' by Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (; 27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet and mathematician. His most notable works are ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (1865) and its sequel ...
(MacRae, 1988) – an edition of the 1865 classic, highly commended for the Greenaway[ and winner of the Emil][
* ''Trail of Stones'' by Gwen Strauss (MacRae, 1990), picture book
* ''The Night Shimmy'' by Gwen Strauss (MacRae, 1991), picture book
* ''The Topiary Garden'' by ]Janni Howker
Janni Howker is a British writer of adult and children's fiction who has adapted her own books for the screen. She has worked across the UK running creative writing workshops for adults and children, and is involved in several arts development p ...
(Hamilton, 1993), short stories published 1991
* ''Anthony Browne's King Kong'' (MacRae, 1994) – from the 1932 novelised story of King Kong
* ''The Daydreamer'' by Ian McEwan
Ian Russell McEwan, (born 21 June 1948) is an English novelist and screenwriter. In 2008, ''The Times'' featured him on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945" and ''The Daily Telegraph'' ranked him number 19 in its list of th ...
(New York: HarperCollins
HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News Cor ...
, 1994), novella
* ''Anthony Browne, Playing the Shape Game'' by Joe Browne (Doubleday, 2011), biography
See also
Notes
References
Further reading
* D. Martin, "Anthony Browne", in Douglas Martin, ''The Telling Line: Essays On Fifteen Contemporary Book Illustrators'' (Julia MacRae Books, 1989), pp. 279–90.
* Jane Doonan, "The object lesson: picture books of Anthony Browne", ''Word & Image'' 2:2 (1986 April–June), pp. 159–72.
* Tony Bradman
Tony Bradman (born 22 January 1954) is an English writer of children's books and short speculative fiction best known for the '' Dilly the Dinosaur'' book series. He is the author of more than 50 books for young people published by multiple house ...
, "Through the magic mirror: the work of Anthony Browne", ''British Book News'', 1984 Autumn hildren's Books pp. 2–5.
* Ellen Handler Spitz, ''Inside Picture Books'', Yale University Press, 1999, pp. 192–94.
External links
Anthony Browne
Personal website
*
*
Anthony Browne
index at ''The Guardian'' —include
one Gallery (14 pictures)
Anthony Browne
at Children's Book Illustration —with extensive Gallery
{{DEFAULTSORT:Browne, Anthony
1946 births
Living people
British illustrators
British children's writers
British children's book illustrators
Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration winners
Kate Greenaway Medal winners
Writers who illustrated their own writing
Writers from Sheffield
Alumni of Leeds Arts University
British Children's Laureate
20th-century British writers
21st-century British writers
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire