Fungus the Bogeyman by Raymond Briggs

We are joined by author-illustrator Nadia Shireen and writer Andrew Male for a smellybration of Fungus the Bogeyman (1977) by the great Raymond Briggs, the much-loved and bestselling picture book Andrew describes as “the children’s Anatomy of Melancholy”. We consider Briggs’s life and work in full: Father Christmas, The Snowman, When the Wind Blows, Ethel & Ernest and the sepulchral Time For Lights Out (2019), his latest – and perhaps last – book; we also hear several times from the (often very funny) author himself. Also in this episode Andy talks about issues raised by reading Laugh a Defiance, a long out-of-print memoir by campaigner Mary Richardson; while John shares his enthusiasm for Jessica Au’s new novel, Cold Enough For Snow (Fitzcarraldo). For more information visit backlisted.fm. Please support us and unlock bonus material at https://www.patreon.com/backlisted

08:00 Laugh a Defiance by Mary Richardson
15:42 Cold Enough For Snow by Jessica Au
20:46 Fungus The Bogeyman by Raymond Briggs

Closing music by @AShamaluevMusic.

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