Children’s authors disliking children has become a thing. It’s been said of Enid Blyton, AA Milne, Dr Seuss, Maurice Sendak, Shel Silverstein … and now we hear that the late, dear Raymond Briggs, the sweet grumpy writer and illustrator who became National Grandpa to millions of us who never met him, was another. Interviews with Briggs, who died last week aged 88, could be heard on the radio, saying for all to hear: “I’ve no interest in children. Didn’t want to have any.”
It’s dismaying. How could they?
