An exhibition featuring never before seen items and artworks from one of the country’s most beloved authors and illustrators will open in the new year.

The works of Raymond Briggs will be on display next year at Ditchling Museum of Art and Craft.

The author lived in Westmeston, near Ditchling, and based his hit children’s book The Snowman, which was made into a film, in the Sussex countryside.

The Argus: Raymond Briggs died in August last year, when he was 88Raymond Briggs died in August last year, when he was 88

Bloomin’ Brilliant: The Life and Work of Raymond Briggs will bring together 30 items from the late author’s estate with over 100 original artworks from his 60-year career.

It is the first specially curated show following Raymond’s death in 2022.

This exhibition includes work from Raymond’s most famous works including Father Christmas and Fungus the Bogeyman.

The Argus: Raymond Briggs and the SnowmanRaymond Briggs and the Snowman

Also on show are his drawings, typography and page designs from his earliest commissions to his 2004 book The Puddleman.

Items from his Westmeston home include Raymond’s own writing and drawing desk which he used for over 40 years.

His belongings give a sense of who Raymond Briggs was and his playful response to his fame. They include a faux blue plaque outlining his commitment to practical jokes and a 1997 note from his partner´s granddaughter detailing that “Raymond is not a normal person” - an utterance that would also make it onto his gravestone.

Steph Fuller, director of Ditchling Museum, said: “It has been a privilege to be invited by Raymond Briggs’s estate to visit his home and select objects for this exhibition. 

“Being in his studio amongst his drawing materials, family photographs and notes to self, it feels as though he might have just stepped out and could return at any moment.  I hope we’re able to convey something of that feeling to visitors.”

This exhibition opens on April 27, 2024, and will run until October 27.