Anthony Browne

The illustrations in picture books are the first paintings most children see, and because of that, they are incredibly important. What we see and share at that age stays with us for life.

Stories come to me in mysterious ways, more like dreams than reasoned creations.

As a child, I'd always liked cowboys and Indians stories where there were two layers - gruesome in the foreground but funny in the background.

One day, I found my dad's dressing-gown in an old suitcase, and it transported me back to when I was five and thought he was a god or a superhero who could do anything. After that, I wrote my first positive book about fathers, about my dad.

From 17 to 21, I was obsessed by sport and art. In art, I loved the pre-Raphaelites and Rembrandt first. Then I discovered Salvador Dali, and it was like finding something I already knew.

I never want to make a child worried or afraid, and I don't think I do. My pictures are born from the belief that children are far more capable and aware of social complexities than we give them credit for.

I grew up with an older brother who was always stronger and faster and better than me at everything, but I was close enough in age to try and compete, so we had a competitive childhood.

Children will come out and listen to a writer whose books they like. They don't need a government agency or a medal that says 'laureate' to continue that.

Never forget that children are at the heart of everything we do. Respect them, listen to them, talk to them as equals, and care about them.

As adults, we've seen so much before that we often turn the pages of a picture book without really looking. Young children tend to look more carefully.

I didn't have picture books - there weren't many around when I was a child.

A lot of my characters are underdogs or sad or lonely, but I had a comfortable, golden sort of childhood.