Photo of Anthony Browne

Anthony Browne

Anthony Browne grew up in Yorkshire, and wanted to be a journalist, a cartoonist, or a boxer. He is now the award-winning author/illustrator of over 30 books, and was Children’s Laureate for 2009-2011.

5 Things You Didn’t Know About Anthony Browne

  • He was once asked to present a programme on children’s books, in a cage with some gorillas – but one gorilla bit him badly on the leg. It didn’t put him off them, but, he says “you wouldn’t catch me going into a cage with one again!”
  • He thinks the character, Willy, is based on his own childhood.
  • When he was a boy, he wanted a real trumpet for his birthday, but he got a toy plastic one instead. He says his book, Gorilla, was partly based on that experience.
  • His book The Tunnel was inspired by a very frightening tunnel he and his brother used to go down when they were boys.
  • When he was a medical artist, he would often eat his lunch in the mortuary!

Books by Anthony Browne

  • Gorilla

    Gorilla

Awards

Anthony has won the Kate Greenaway prize for Gorilla and Zoo, and the Kurt Maschler award for Gorilla and Voices in the Park.

In 2000, he was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen prize, and is the Children’s Laureate for 2009-2011.