The author and illustrator of the classic children’s book The Snowman, Raymond Briggs, has died at the age of 88.

The wordless children's picture book published in 1978 has gone on to sell more than 5.5m copies in various formats around the world.

The Snowman was turned into a Bafta TV Award-winning animated TV film in 1982.

Today’s Martha Kearney spoke to author and former Children's Laureate Michael Rosen and Raymond Briggs’ publisher at Penguin Random House Francesca Dow.

(Image, Raymond Briggs, Credit, Alamy)