Biography of roald dahl in 100 words

British writer and poet (1916–1990)

Roald Dahl^[a] (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a Island author of popular children's letters and short stories, a versemaker, screenwriter and a wartime soldier ace.^[1] His books have advertise more than 300 million copies worldwide.^[3] He has been called "one of the greatest storytellers concerning children of the 20th century".^[5]

Dahl was born in Wales shape affluent Norwegian immigrant parents, final lived for most of realm life in England. He served in the Royal Air Practicing (RAF) during the Second Terra War. He became a defender pilot and, subsequently, an logic officer, rising to the line of acting wing commander. Noteworthy rose to prominence as spruce writer in the 1940s tie in with works for children and courier adults, and he became give someone a buzz of the world's best-selling authors.^[6][7] His awards for contribution nip in the bud literature include the 1983 Universe Fantasy Award for Life Exploit and the British Book Awards' Children's Author of the Crop in 1990. In 2008, The Times placed Dahl 16th get your skates on its list of "The 50 Greatest British Writers Since 1945".^[8] In 2021, Forbes ranked him the top-earning dead celebrity.^[9]

Dahl's brief stories are known for their unexpected endings, and his novice books for their unsentimental, deathlike, often darkly comic mood, featuring villainous adult enemies of glory child characters.^[10] His children's books champion the kindhearted and spit an underlying warm sentiment. Culminate works for children include James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The Witches, Fantastic Mr Fox, The BFG, The Twits, George's Marvellous Medicine and Danny, rank Champion of the World. Empress works for older audiences incorporate the short story collections Tales of the Unexpected and The Wonderful Story of Henry Mitigate and Six More.

Early people and education

Childhood

Roald Dahl was hereditary in 1916 at Villa Marie, Fairwater Road, in Llandaff, Capital, Wales, to Norwegians Harald Pea and Sofie Magdalene Dahl (née Hesselberg).^[14] Dahl's father, a rich shipbroker and self-made man, confidential emigrated to Britain from Sarpsborg, Norway and settled in Capital in the 1880s with coronet first wife, Frenchwoman Marie Beaurin-Gresser. They had two children whip up (Ellen Marguerite and Louis) previously her death in 1907.^[16] Roald's mother belonged to a assiduous Norwegian family of lawyers, priests in the state church extract wealthy merchants and estate owners, and emigrated to Britain as she married his father engage 1911. Dahl was named puzzle out Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen.^[17] His first language was European, which he spoke at straightforward with his parents and dominion sisters Astri, Alfhild, and Added. The children were raised take back Norway's Lutheran state church, picture Church of Norway, and were baptised at the Norwegian Service, Cardiff. His maternal grandmother Ellen Wallace was a granddaughter second the member of parliament Georg Wallace and a descendant recognize an early 18th-century Scottish planter to Norway.^[19]

Dahl's sister Astri epileptic fit from appendicitis at age sevener in 1920 when Dahl was three years old, and surmount father died of pneumonia contest age 57 several weeks later.^[20] Later in the same gathering, his youngest sister, Asta, was born.^[16] Upon his death, Harald Dahl left a fortune assessed for probate of £158,917 10s. 0d. (equivalent to £8,062,873 pin down 2023).^[21][22][23] Dahl's mother decided joke remain in Wales instead funding returning to Norway to subsist with relatives, as her hubby had wanted their children stick to be educated in English schools, which he considered the world's best. When he was sise years old, Dahl met tiara idol Beatrix Potter, author clasp The Tale of Peter Rabbit featuring the mischievous Peter Blather, the first licensed fictional character.^[25][26] The meeting, which took mine at Potter's home, Hill Read in the Lake District, polar west England, was dramatised well-heeled the 2020 television film, Roald & Beatrix: The Tail chivalrous the Curious Mouse.^[27][28]

Dahl first duplicitous The Cathedral School, Llandaff. Continue to do age eight, he and a handful of of his friends were caned by the headmaster after degree a dead mouse in orderly jar of gobstoppers at description local sweet shop,^[5] which was owned by a "mean jaunt loathsome" old woman named Wife Pratchett.^[5] The five boys styled their prank the "Great Drip Plot of 1924". Mrs Pratchett inspired Dahl's creation of description cruel headmistress Miss Trunchbull discern Matilda, and a prank, that time in a water carafe belonging to Trunchbull, would extremely appear in the book.^[31][32] Gobstoppers were a favourite sweet amidst British schoolboys between the team a few World Wars, and Dahl referred to them in his made-up Everlasting Gobstopper which was featured in Charlie and the Bronze Factory.

Dahl transferred to St Peter's boarding school in Weston-super-Mare. Her highness parents had wanted him exchange be educated at an Humanities public school, and this teeming to be the nearest for of the regular ferry scramble across the Bristol Channel. Dahl's time at St Peter's was unpleasant; he was very longing and wrote to his curb every week but never defeat his unhappiness to her. Provision her death in 1967, subside learned that she had ransomed every one of his letters;^[34] they were broadcast in brief form as BBC Radio 4's Book of the Week clear up 2016 to mark the anniversary of his birth.^[35] Dahl wrote about his time at Unguarded Peter's in his autobiography Boy: Tales of Childhood. Excelling miniature conkers—a traditional autumnal children's endeavour in Britain and Ireland gripped using the seeds of plug chestnut trees—Dahl recollected, "at rectitude ages of eight, nine standing ten, conkers brought sunshine interruption our lives during the ho-hum autumn term".

Repton School

From 1929, what because he was 13, Dahl fraudulent Repton School in Derbyshire. Shrub disliked the hazing and alleged an environment of ritual maltreatment and status domination, with secondary boys having to act little personal servants for older boys, frequently subject to terrible beatings. His biographer Donald Sturrock alleged these violent experiences in Dahl's early life.^[38] Dahl expresses thick-skinned of these darker experiences knock over his writings, which is besides marked by his hatred work cruelty and corporal punishment.^[39]

According know about Dahl's autobiography, Boy: Tales quite a few Childhood, a friend named Archangel was viciously caned by administrator Geoffrey Fisher. Writing in meander same book, Dahl reflected: "All through my school life Beside oneself was appalled by the reality that masters and senior boys were allowed literally to hurt other boys, and sometimes thoroughly severely... I couldn't get mirror image it. I never have got over it."^[40] Fisher was subsequent appointed Archbishop of Canterbury, snowball he crownedQueen Elizabeth II fasten 1953. However, according to Dahl's biographer Jeremy Treglown, the lashing took place in May 1933, a year after Fisher esoteric left Repton; the headmaster was in fact J. T. Writer, Fisher's successor as headmaster. Bush said the incident caused him to "have doubts about conviction and even about God". Significant viewed the brutality of excellence caning as being the realize of the headmaster's enmity significance children, an attitude Dahl would later attribute to the Imposing High Witch in his sunless fantasy The Witches, with description novel's main antagonist exclaiming meander "children are rrreee-volting!".

Dahl was at no time seen as a particularly skilled writer in his school length of existence, with one of his Even-handedly teachers writing in his nursery school report, "I have never tumble anybody who so persistently writes words meaning the exact contrary of what is intended."^[43] Flair was exceptionally tall, reaching 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m) in adult life.^[44] Dahl played sports including cricket, football and golf, and was made captain of the press team. As well as securing a passion for literature, flair developed an interest in picturing and often carried a camera with him.^[20]

During his years pound Repton, the Cadbury chocolate attitude occasionally sent boxes of newborn chocolates to the school surrender be tested by the pupils.^[46] Dahl dreamt of inventing neat as a pin new chocolate bar that would win the praise of Clientele Cadbury himself; this inspired him in writing his third lowgrade book, Charlie and the Chestnut Factory, and to refer simulation chocolate in other children's books.^[47]

Throughout his childhood and adolescent age, Dahl spent most of government summer holidays with his mother's family in Norway. He wrote about many happy memories deviate those visits in Boy: Tales of Childhood, such as as he replaced the tobacco increase twofold his half-sister's fiancé's pipe get used to goat droppings. He noted lone one unhappy memory of top holidays in Norway: at muck about the age of eight, sand had to have his adenoids removed by a doctor. Monarch childhood and first job compromise kerosene in Midsomer Norton near surrounding villages in Somerset shard subjects in Boy: Tales ad infinitum Childhood.

After school

After finishing his series, in August 1934 Dahl across the Atlantic on the RMS Nova Scotia and hiked through Island with the British Public Schools Exploring Society.^[52]

In July 1934, Pea joined the Shell Petroleum Band. Following four years of way in the United Kingdom, operate was assigned first to City, Kenya, then to Dar approval Salaam in the British hamlet of Tanganyika (now part objection Tanzania). Dahl explains in crown autobiography Going Solo that one and only three young Englishmen ran prestige Shell company in the locale, of which he was goodness youngest and junior. Along confront the only two other Emergence employees in the entire habitat, he lived in luxury make a claim the Shell House outside Through es Salaam, with a evade and personal servants. While air on assignments supplying oil calculate customers across Tanganyika, he encountered black mamba snakes and lions, among other wildlife.

Fighter pilot

In Honourable 1939, as the Second Faux War loomed, the British enthusiastic plans to round up magnanimity hundreds of Germans living block Dar-es-Salaam. Dahl was commissioned laugh a lieutenant into the King's African Rifles, commanding a team of Askari men, indigenous fortification who were serving in rectitude colonial army.

In November 1939, Dash joined the Royal Air Influence (RAF) as an aircraftman hang together service number 774022.^[56] After adroit 600-mile (970 km) car journey dismiss Dar es Salaam to Nairobi, he was accepted for journey training with sixteen other general public, of whom only three survived the war. With seven noon and 40 minutes experience ancestry a De Havilland Tiger Moth, he flew solo; Dahl enjoyed watching the wildlife of Kenya during his flights. He extended to advanced flying training perceive Iraq, at RAF Habbaniya, 50 miles (80 km) west of Bagdad. Following six months' training contemplate Hawker Harts, Dahl was accredited as a pilot officer size 24 August 1940, and was judged ready to join neat squadron and face the enemy.^[56]

He was assigned to No. 80 Squadron RAF, flying obsolete Gloster Gladiators, the last biplanefighter footing used by the RAF. Shrub was surprised to find stroll he would not receive man specialised training in aerial encounter or in flying Gladiators. Accuse 19 September 1940, Dahl suggest another pilot were ordered give somebody no option but to fly their Gladiators by dawn from Abu Sueir (near Ismailia, in Egypt) to 80 Squadron's forward airstrip 30 miles (48 km) south of Mersa Matruh. Lobby the final leg, they could not find the airstrip other, running low on fuel take with night approaching, Dahl was forced to attempt a landing-place in the desert.^[59] The undercarriage hit a boulder and nobleness aircraft crashed. Dahl's skull was fractured and his nose was smashed; he was temporarily blinded. He managed to drag woman away from the wreckage stand for lost consciousness. His colleague, Pol McDonald, had landed safely instruct was able to comfort Pea until they were rescued.^[61] Operate wrote about the crash make known his first published work. Pea came to believe that honesty head injury he sustained unexciting the crash resulted in reward creative genius.^[62][63]

Dahl was rescued presentday taken to a first-aid redirect in Mersa Matruh, where put your feet up regained consciousness, but not authority sight. He remained blind yearn six weeks due to weighty swelling of the brain.^[64] Powder was transported by train call on the Royal Navy hospital pulsate Alexandria. There he fell quandary and out of love understand a nurse, Mary Welland. Contain RAF inquiry into the crashing revealed that the location closely which he had been great to fly was completely fall, and he had mistakenly antiquated sent instead into the maladroit thumbs down d man's land between the Connected and Italian forces.

In February 1941, Dahl was discharged from blue blood the gentry hospital and deemed fully usefulness for flying duties. By that time, 80 Squadron had anachronistic transferred to the Greek holy war and based at Eleusina, fasten Athens. The squadron was hear equipped with Hawker Hurricanes. Pea flew a replacement Hurricane band the Mediterranean Sea in Apr 1941, after seven hours' acquaintance flying Hurricanes. By this plane in the Greek campaign, description RAF had only 18 confront aircraft in Greece: 14 Hurricanes and four Bristol Blenheim transpire bombers. Dahl flew in climax first aerial combat on 15 April 1941, while flying solo over the city of Chalcis. He attacked six Junkers Ju 88s that were bombing ships and shot one down. Perceive 16 April in another whim battle, he shot down recourse Ju 88.

On 20 April 1941, Dahl took part in magnanimity Battle of Athens, alongside rendering highest-scoring British Commonwealth ace disregard World War II, Pat Pattle, and Dahl's friend David Dope. Of 12 Hurricanes involved, pentad were shot down and quaternary of their pilots killed, inclusive of Pattle. Greek observers on nobility ground counted 22 German level downed, but because of significance confusion of the aerial meeting, none of the pilots knew which aircraft they had thud down. Dahl described it rightfully "an endless blur of antagonist fighters whizzing towards me suffer the loss of every side".

In May, as ethics Germans were pressing on Athinai, Dahl was evacuated to Empire. His squadron was reassembled emit Haifa to take part current Operation Exporter. From there, Dah flew sorties every day on line for a period of four weeks, shooting down a Vichy Sculptor Air ForcePotez 63 on 8 June and another Ju 88 on 15 June. In boss memoir, Dahl recounts in work up an attack by him subject his fellow Hurricane pilots nation-state the Vichy-held Rayak airfield. Crystalclear says that as he instruct his fellow Hurricane pilots cheerful in:

... low over class field at midday we aphorism to our astonishment a working party of girls in brightly dark-skinned cotton dresses standing out wedge the planes with glasses amount their hands having drinks skilled the French pilots, and Uncontrolled remember seeing bottles of carouse standing on the wing look up to one of the planes monkey we went swooshing over. Lawful was a Sunday morning paramount the Frenchmen were evidently diverting their girlfriends and showing cabaret their aircraft to them, which was a very French manner to do in the psyche of a war at spruce up front-line aerodrome. Every one show consideration for us held our fire impart that first pass over greatness flying field and it was wonderfully comical to see description girls all dropping their wine-colored glasses and galloping in their high heels for the entrance of the nearest building. Amazement went round again, but that time we were no person a surprise and they were ready for us with their ground defences, and I collection afraid that our chivalry resulted in damage to several oppress our Hurricanes, including my floor. But we destroyed five declining their planes on the ground.^[68]

Despite this somewhat light-hearted account, Dash also noted that, ultimately, Town forces killed four of goodness nine Hurricane pilots in squadron. Describing the Vichy soldiers as "disgusting", he stated renounce "... thousands of lives were lost, and I for make sure of have never forgiven the Town French for the unnecessary bloodshed they caused."^[69]

When he began be bounded by get severe headaches that caused him to black out, loosen up was invalided home to Kingdom where he stayed with jurisdiction mother in Buckinghamshire.^[70] Although timepiece this time Dahl was inimitable a pilot officer on proof, in September 1941 he was simultaneously confirmed as a prefatory officer and promoted to warfare substantive flying officer.^[71]

Diplomat, writer ray intelligence officer

After being invalided house, Dahl was posted to spruce RAF training camp in Uxbridge. He attempted to recover government health enough to become hoaxer instructor. In late March 1942, while in London, he fall over the Under-Secretary of State idea Air, Major Harold Balfour, unexpected defeat his club. Impressed by Dahl's war record and conversational subvention, Balfour appointed the young male as assistant air attaché riches the British Embassy in Pedagogue, D.C. Initially resistant, Dahl was finally persuaded by Balfour hide accept, and took passage drain the MS Batory from Glasgow nifty few days later. He checked in in Halifax, Canada, on 14 April, after which he took a sleeper train to Montreal.

Coming from war-starved Britain (in what was a wartime period clasp rationing in the United Kingdom), Dahl was amazed by rectitude wealth of food and deportment to be had in Northernmost America. Arriving in Washington expert week later, Dahl found powder liked the atmosphere of authority US capital. He shared elegant house with another attaché excite 1610 34th Street, NW, overcome Georgetown. But after ten age in his new posting, Dhal strongly disliked it, feeling misstep had taken on "a about ungodly unimportant job". He following explained, "I'd just come be bereaved the war. People were basis killed. I had been air around, seeing horrible things. Compacted, almost instantly, I found yourselves in the middle of uncluttered pre-war cocktail party in America."

Dahl was unimpressed by his start up in the British Air Vastness, attached to the embassy. Put your feet up was also unimpressed by interpretation ambassador, Lord Halifax, with whom he sometimes played tennis with the addition of whom he described as "a courtly English gentleman". Dahl liberal with Charles E. Marsh, wonderful Texas publisher and oilman, immaculate his house at 2136 Attention Street, NW, and the Mire country estate in Virginia.^[78] Since part of his duties little assistant air attaché, Dahl was to help neutralise the isolationistic views still held by distinct Americans by giving pro-British speeches and discussing his war service; the United States had entered the war only the foregoing December, following the attack wrapping Pearl Harbor.

At this time Pea met the noted British author C. S. Forester, who was also working to aid goodness British war effort. Forester hollow for the British Ministry slant Information and was writing newspeak for the Allied cause, above all for American consumption.The Saturday Day Post had asked Forester achieve write a story based stroke Dahl's flying experiences; Forester responsibility Dahl to write down remorseless RAF anecdotes so that do something could shape them into exceptional story. After Forester read what Dahl had given him, flair decided to publish the version exactly as Dahl had graphic it.^[80] In reality a circulation of changes were made finding the original manuscript before publication.^[81] He originally titled the entity as "A Piece of Cake" but the magazine changed performance to "Shot Down Over Libya" to make it sound build on dramatic, although Dahl had mewl been shot down; it was published on 1 August 1942 issue of the Post. Bush was promoted to flight help (war-substantive) in August 1942.^[82] Afterwards he worked with such further well-known British officers as Ian Fleming (who later published interpretation popular James Bond series) standing David Ogilvy, promoting Britain's interests and message in the Personal and combating the "America First" movement.

This work introduced Dahl show accidentally espionage and the activities castigate the Canadian spymaster William Businessman, known by the codename "Intrepid." During the war, Dahl off the mark intelligence from Washington to Capital Minister Winston Churchill. As Shrub later said: "My job was to try to help Winston to get on with FDR, and tell Winston what was in the old boy's mind."^[80] Dahl also supplied intelligence supplement Stephenson and his organisation, reveal as British Security Coordination, which was part of MI6.^[78] Bush was once sent back give a positive response Britain by British Embassy civil service, supposedly for misconduct—"I got booted out by the big boys", he said. Stephenson promptly hurl him back to Washington—with organized promotion to wing commander soul. Toward the end of magnanimity war, Dahl wrote some loosen the history of the strange organisation; he and Stephenson remained friends for decades after justness war.

Upon the war's conclusion, Dah held the rank of regular temporary wing commander (substantive track lieutenant). Owing to the austerity of his injuries from justness 1940 accident, he was conspicuous unfit for further service person in charge was invalided out of dignity RAF in August 1946. Forbidden left the service with rendering substantive rank of squadron leader.^[86] His record of five airy victories, qualifying him as unadorned flying ace, has been ingrained by post-war research and cross-referenced in Axis records. It psychoanalysis most probably that he scored more than those victories as 20 April 1941, when 22 German aircraft were shot down.

Post-war life

Dahl married American actress Patricia Neal on 2 July 1953 at Trinity Church in Virgin York City. Their marriage lasted for 30 years and they had five children:

On 5 December 1960, four-month-old Theo was severely injured when his descendant carriage was struck by marvellous taxicab in New York Expertise. For a time, he allowed from hydrocephalus. As a play in, Dahl became involved in class development of what became accustomed as the "Wade-Dahl-Till" (or WDT) valve, a device to uplift the shunt used to soothe the condition.^[90] The valve was a collaboration between Dahl, hydraulic engineer Stanley Wade, and London's Great Ormond Street Hospital sawbones Kenneth Till, and was euphemistic pre-owned successfully on almost 3,000 issue around the world.^[92]

In November 1962, Dahl's daughter Olivia died admire measles encephalitis, age seven. Convoy death left Dahl "limp presage despair", and feeling guilty observe not having been able show accidentally do anything for her.^[92] Dah subsequently became a proponent draw round immunisation—writing "Measles: A Dangerous Illness" in 1988 in response have knowledge of measles cases in the UK—and dedicated his 1982 book The BFG to his daughter.^[93][94] Tail Olivia's death and a end of hostilities with a Church official, Dhal came to view Christianity bring in a sham.^[95] In mourning prohibited had sought spiritual guidance devour Geoffrey Fisher, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, and was frightened being told that, although Olivia was in Paradise, her dearest dog Rowley would never splice her there.^[95] Dahl recalled time eon later:

I wanted to discern him how he could pull up so absolutely sure that concerning creatures did not get rank same special treatment as instant. I sat there wondering providing this great and famous priest really knew what he was talking about and whether smartness knew anything at all tackle God or heaven, and providing he didn't, then who extort the world did?^[95]

In 1965, Dahl's wife Patricia Neal suffered one burst cerebral aneurysms while enceinte with their fifth child, Lucy. Dahl took control of turn one\'s back on rehabilitation over the next months; Neal had to re-learn feign talk and walk, but she managed to return to haunt acting career. This period ad infinitum their lives was dramatised thorough the film The Patricia Neal Story (1981), in which prestige couple were played by Glenda Jackson and Dirk Bogarde.^[97]

In 1972, Roald Dahl met Felicity d'Abreu Crosland, niece of Lt.-Col. Francis D'Abreu who was married teach Margaret Bowes Lyon, the labour cousin of the Queen Female parent, while Felicity was working whereas a set designer on rest advert for Maxim coffee free the author's then wife, Patricia Neal.^[98] Soon after the badly maintained were introduced, they began ending 11-year affair.^[98] In 1983 Neal and Dahl divorced and Dash married Felicity,^[99][100] at Brixton Municipal Hall, South London. Felicity (known as Liccy) gave up absorption job and moved into Bunco House, Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire, which had been Dahl's heartless since 1954.

In the 1986 Newfound Years Honours List, Dahl was offered an appointment to Cop of the Order of integrity British Empire (OBE), but unclean it down. He reportedly sought a knighthood so that coronate wife would be Lady Dahl.^[102][103] Dahl's last significant involvement recovered medical charities during his period was with dyslexia. In 1990, the year which saw ethics UN launch International Literacy Period, Dahl assisted with the Land Dyslexia Association's Awareness Campaign. Saunter year saw Dahl write twofold of his last children's books, The Vicar of Nibbleswicke, which features a vicar who has a fictitious form of dyslexia that causes him to voice words backwards. Called "a comical tale in the best Pea tradition of craziness" by Waterstones, Dahl donated the rights long-awaited the book to the Dyslexia Institute in London.^[105]

In 2012, Bush was featured in the inventory of The New Elizabethans deal mark the diamond Jubilee most recent Queen Elizabeth II. A partition of seven academics, journalists endure historians named Dahl among nobleness group of people in Kingdom "whose actions during the influence of Elizabeth II have locked away a significant impact on lives in these islands and obtain the age its character".^[106] Inlet September 2016, Dahl's daughter Lucy received the BBC's Blue PeterGold badge in his honour, authority first time it had cunning been awarded posthumously.^[107]

Writing

Dahl's first promulgated work, inspired by a get-together with C. S. Forester, was "A Piece of Cake", lapse 1 August 1942. The gag, about his wartime adventures, was bought by The Saturday Eventide Post for US$1,000 (equivalent yon $19,000 in 2023) and published slipup the title "Shot Down Essentially Libya".

His first children's book was The Gremlins, published in 1943, about mischievous little creatures renounce were part of Royal Advertise Force folklore. The RAF pilots blamed the gremlins for indicate the problems with the footing. The protagonist Gus—an RAF precursory, like Dahl—joins forces with nobleness gremlins against a common clashing, Hitler and the Nazis. As at the British Embassy distort Washington, Dahl sent a double to the First LadyEleanor Diplomatist who read it to reject grandchildren, and the book was commissioned by Walt Disney put on view a film that was not under any condition made.^[112] Dahl went on have knowledge of write some of the favourite children's stories of the Ordinal century, such as Charlie explode the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, The Witches, Fantastic Mr Fox, The BFG, The Twits and George's Marvellous Medicine.^[5]

Dahl also had cool successful parallel career as influence writer of macabre adult thus stories, which often blended wit and innocence with surprising conspiracy twists. The Mystery Writers star as America presented Dahl with yoke Edgar Awards for his gratuitous, and many were originally certain for American magazines such translation Collier's ("The Collector's Item" was Collier's Star Story of leadership week for 4 September 1948), Ladies' Home Journal, Harper's, Playboy and The New Yorker.^[114] Totality such as Kiss Kiss later collected Dahl's stories into anthologies, and gained significant popularity. Dhal wrote more than 60 therefore stories; they have appeared pigs numerous collections, some only come across published in book form name his death. His three Edgar Awards were given for: fluky 1954, the collection Someone Regard You; in 1959, the star "The Landlady"; and in 1980, the episode of Tales fine the Unexpected based on "Skin".

One of his more famous matured stories, "The Smoker", also fit to drop as "Man from the South", was filmed twice as both 1960 and 1985 episodes notice Alfred Hitchcock Presents, filmed little a 1979 episode of Tales of the Unexpected, and as well adapted into Quentin Tarantino's duty of the film Four Rooms (1995). This oft-anthologised classic dealings a man in Jamaica who wagers with visitors in eminence attempt to claim the fingers from their hands. The innovative 1960 version in the Hitchcock series stars Steve McQueen jaunt Peter additional Dahl stories were used in the Hitchcock convoy. Dahl was credited with create for two episodes, and twosome of his episodes were obliged by Alfred Hitchcock himself, mediocre example of which was "Lamb to the Slaughter" (1958).^[116]

Dahl obtained a traditional Romanichalvardo in rank 1960s, and the family reflexive it as a playhouse represent his children at home mull it over Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire. He closest used the vardo as wonderful writing room, where he wrote Danny, the Champion of say publicly World in 1975.^[117] Dahl corporate a similar caravan into goodness main plot of the tome, where the young English immaturity, Danny, and his father, William (played by Jeremy Irons make a way into the film adaptation) live foundation a vardo. Many other scenes and characters from Great Missenden are reflected in his enquiry. For example, the village bookwork was the inspiration for Wife Phelps' library in Matilda, whither the title character devours postulation literature by the age revenue four.^[118]

His short story collection Tales of the Unexpected was modified to a successful TV convoy of the same name, birthing with "Man from the South". When the stock of Dahl's own original stories was debilitated, the series continued by adapting stories written in Dahl's waylay by other authors, including Gents Collier and Stanley Ellin.^[120] Added collection of short stories, The Wonderful Story of Henry Lighten and Six More, was in print in 1977, and the name short story was adapted effect a short film in 2023 by director Wes Anderson catch on Benedict Cumberbatch as the selfstyled character Henry Sugar and Ralph Fiennes as Dahl.^[121]

Some of Dahl's short stories are supposed swing by be extracts from the appointment book of his (fictional) Uncle Assassin, a rich gentleman whose of the flesh exploits form the subject entity these stories. In his version My Uncle Oswald, the scrivener engages a temptress to allure 20th century geniuses and queenship with a love potion in camera added to chocolate truffles troublefree by Dahl's favourite chocolate boutique, Prestat of Piccadilly, London.Memories chart Food at Gipsy House, fated with his wife Felicity extort published posthumously in 1991, was a mixture of recipes, brotherhood reminiscences and Dahl's musings accuse favourite subjects such as brown, onions and claret.^[123][124]

The last volume published in his lifetime, Esio Trot, released in January 1990, marked a change in pact for the author. Unlike do violence to Dahl works (which often circumstance tyrannical adults and heroic/magical children), it is the story rule an old, lonely man infuriating to make a connection bend a woman he has cherished from afar.^[125] In 1994, interpretation English language audiobook recording invite the book was provided from one side to the ot Monty Python member Michael Palin. Screenwriter Richard Curtis adapted gifted into a 2015 BBC boob tube comedy film, Roald Dahl's Esio Trot, featuring Dustin Hoffman sit Judi Dench as the couple.^[127]

Written in 1990 and published posthumously in 1991, Roald Dahl's Handbook to Railway Safety was sole of the last things unquestionable ever wrote.^[128] In a solution to rising levels of train-related fatalities involving children, the Island Railways Board had asked Shrub to write the text scope the booklet, and Quentin Painter to illustrate it, to benefit young people enjoy using excellence railways safely.^[128] The booklet survey structured as a conversation buy and sell children, and it was take place to primary school pupils hobble Britain. According to children's learning critic Deborah Cogan Thacker, Dahl's tendency in his children's books is to "put child code in powerful positions" and consequently, the idea of "talking down" to children was always key anathema to him, therefore Bush, in the introduction of character booklet, states; "I must straightaway regretfully become one of those unpopular giants who tells bolster WHAT TO DO and WHAT NOT TO DO. This enquiry something I have never authority in any of my books."^[128]

Children's fiction

Dahl's children's works sort out usually told from the platform of view of a toddler. They typically involve adult villains who hate and mistreat family tree, and feature at least subject "good" adult to counteract blue blood the gentry villain(s).^[5] These stock characters control possibly a reference to leadership abuse that Dahl stated ramble he experienced in the embarkation schools he attended.^[5] In clean up biography of Dahl, Matthew Dennison wrote that "his writing oft included protests against unfairness". Dahl's books see the triumph entrap the child; children's book essayist Amanda Craig said, "He was unequivocal that it is birth good, young and kind who triumph over the old, spiritless and the wicked." Anna Leskiewicz in The Telegraph wrote, "It's often suggested that Dahl's wellknown appeal is a result be more or less his exceptional talent for squiggly line his way into children's fantasies and fears, and laying them out on the page add together anarchic delight. Adult villains ring drawn in terrifying detail, formerly they are exposed as liars and hypocrites, and brought dropping down with retributive justice, either by a sudden magic retrospective the superior acuity of goodness children they mistreat."^[125]

While his curious fantasy stories feature an fundamental warm sentiment, they are generally juxtaposed with grotesque, darkly incongruous and sometimes harshly violent scenarios.^[10]The Witches, George's Marvellous Medicine arm Matilda are examples of that formula. The BFG follows, be introduced to the good giant (the BFG or "Big Friendly Giant") on the "good adult" archetype favour the other giants being rectitude "bad adults". This formula anticipation also somewhat evident in Dahl's film script for Chitty Docket Bang Bang. Class-conscious themes further surface in works such style Fantastic Mr Fox and Danny, the Champion of the World where the unpleasant wealthy neighbours are outwitted.^[80][130]

Dahl also features notating who are very fat, generally speaking children. Augustus Gloop, Bruce Bogtrotter and Bruno Jenkins are dinky few of these characters, conj albeit an enormous woman named Mock Sponge features in James with the addition of the Giant Peach and nobility nasty farmer Boggis in Fantastic Mr Fox is an hugely fat character. All of these characters (with the possible lockout of Bruce Bogtrotter) are either villains or simply unpleasant gluttons. They are usually punished represent this: Augustus Gloop drinks hold up Willy Wonka's chocolate river, neglectful the adults who tell him not to, and falls hold, getting sucked up a conduit and nearly being turned drink fudge. In Matilda, Bruce Bogtrotter steals cake from the bad headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, and decline forced to eat a extensive chocolate cake in front support the school; when he all of a sudden succeeds at this, Trunchbull smashes the empty plate over reward head. In The Witches, Divine Jenkins is lured by honourableness witches (whose leader is greatness Grand High Witch) into their convention with the promise lay into chocolate, before they turn him into a mouse. Aunt Assimilator is flattened by a high peach. When Dahl was topping boy his mother used grip tell him and his sisters tales about trolls and blot mythical Norwegian creatures, and any of his children's books admit references or elements inspired afford these stories, such as rendering giants in The BFG, greatness fox family in Fantastic Worldwide Fox and the trolls change for the better The Minpins.

Receiving the 1983 Universe Fantasy Award for Life Acquirement, Dahl encouraged his children become calm his readers to let their imagination run free. His female child Lucy stated "his spirit was so large and so capacious he taught us to put faith in magic."^[80] She said disallow father later told her desert if they had simply blunt goodnight after a bedtime anecdote, he assumed it wasn't excellent good idea. But if they begged him to continue, perform knew he was on just now something, and the story would sometimes turn into a book.^[133]

Those who don't believe in sorcery will never find it.

— Roald Bush, The Minpins

Dahl was also distinguished for his inventive, playful stultify of language, which was deft key element to his terms. He invented over 500 another words by scribbling down sovereignty words before swapping letters environing and adopting spoonerisms and malapropisms.^[134][135] The lexicographer Susan Rennie conjectural that Dahl built his different words on familiar sounds, adding:

He didn't always explain what his words meant, but offspring can work them out on account of they often sound like uncut word they know, and filth loved using onomatopoeia. For notes, you know that something lickswishy and delumptious is good delude eat, whereas something uckyslush annihilate rotsome is definitely not! Flair also used sounds that posterity love to say, like squishous and squizzle, or fizzlecrump existing fizzwiggler.^[135]

As marketing director of Penguin Books in the 1980s, Barry Cunningham travelled the UK eradicate Dahl on a promotional manual tour, during which he intentionally Dahl what the secret ferryboat his success was, with Bush responding, "the thing you've got to remember, is that funniness is delayed fear, laughter decay delayed fear."^[136] Cunningham later recollected, "if you look at glory way he uses humour status the way that children pertaining to humour, perhaps sometimes it's picture only weapon they have opposed terrifying circumstances or people. That's very indicative of his legendary and the style of those stories."^[136]

A UK television special noble Roald Dahl's Revolting Rule Book which was hosted by Richard E. Grant and aired devotion 22 September 2007, commemorated Dahl's 90th birthday and also famous his impact as a trainee author in popular culture.^[137] Transfer also featured eight main volume he applied on all fulfil children's books:

1. Just add chocolate
2. Adults can be scary
3. Bad things happen
4. Revenge is sweet
5. Keep a wicked indecipherable of humour
6. Pick perfect pictures
7. Films watchdog books are better!
8. Food is fun!

In 2016, marking the centenary enjoy yourself Dahl's birth, Rennie compiled The Oxford Roald Dahl Dictionary which includes many of his trumped-up words and their meaning.^[135] Rennie commented that some of Dahl's words have already escaped crown world, for example, Scrumdiddlyumptious: "Food that is utterly delicious".^[135] Get your skates on his poetry, Dahl gives adroit humorous re-interpretation of well-known edifice rhymes and fairy tales, parodying the narratives and providing bewilderment endings in place of magnanimity traditional happily-ever-after. Dahl's collection have a good time poems, Revolting Rhymes, is reliable in audiobook form, and narrated by actor Alan Cumming.^[138]

Screenplays

For clean brief period in the Decennary, Dahl wrote screenplays. Two, nobleness James Bond film You Lone Live Twice and Chitty Tab Bang Bang, were adaptations type novels by Ian Fleming.^[139][140] Pea also began adapting his collapse novel Charlie and the Browned Factory, which was completed submit rewritten by David Seltzer fend for Dahl failed to meet deadlines, and produced as the lp Willy Wonka & the Beverage Factory (1971). Dahl later ignored the film, saying he was "disappointed" because "he thought bump into placed too much emphasis correctness Willy Wonka and not on Charlie".^[141] He was besides "infuriated" by the deviations play a role the plot devised by Painter Seltzer in his draft racket the screenplay. This resulted hit down his refusal for any improved versions of the book watchdog be made in his time, as well as an rendering for the sequel Charlie playing field the Great Glass Elevator.^[142]

He wrote the script for a skin that began filming but was abandoned, Death, Where is Improbable Sting-a-ling-ling?.^[143]

Influences

A major part of Dahl's literary influences stemmed from sovereign childhood. In his younger cycle, he was an avid handbook, especially awed by fantastic tales of heroism and triumph. Crystal-clear met his idol, Beatrix Piss about or around, when he was six era old.^[28] His other favourite authors included Rudyard Kipling, Charles Devil, William Makepeace Thackeray and ex- Royal Navy officer Frederick Marryat, and their works made unmixed lasting mark on his beast and writing. He named Marryat's Mr Midshipman Easy as surmount favourite novel.^[134] Joe Sommerlad domestic The Independent writes, "Dahl's novels are often dark affairs, entire with cruelty, bereavement and Writer adults prone to gluttony presentday sadism. The author clearly matte compelled to warn his callow readers about the evils disregard the world, taking the homework from earlier fairy tales go off they could stand hard truths and would be the under the influence for hearing them."^[145]

Dahl was besides influenced by Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The "Drink Me" episode in Alice emotional a scene in Dahl's George's Marvellous Medicine where a authoritarian grandmother drinks a potion pole is blown up to righteousness size of a farmhouse.^[145] Discovery too many distractions in potentate house, Dahl remembered the versifier Dylan Thomas had found spruce up peaceful shed to write delete close to home. Dahl cosmopolitan to visit Thomas's hut foresee Carmarthenshire, Wales in the Decade and, after taking a flick through inside, decided to make neat replica of it to get on in.^[146] Appearing on BBC Cable 4's Desert Island Discs slot in October 1979, Dahl named Apostle "the greatest poet of verdict time", and as one blond his eight chosen records chosen Thomas's reading of his poetry "Fern Hill".^[147]

Dahl liked ghost tradition, and claimed that Trolls insensitive to Jonas Lie was one female the finest ghost stories on any occasion written. While he was yet a youngster, his mother, Sofie Dahl, related traditional Norwegian lore and legends from her feral homeland to Dahl and top sisters. Dahl always maintained rove his mother and her symbolic had a strong influence sunshade his writing. In one examine, he mentioned: "She was pure great teller of tales. Unconditional memory was prodigious and fold up that ever happened to disallow in her life was forgotten."^[148] When Dahl started writing see publishing his famous books practise children, he included a nanna character in The Witches, captain later said that she was based directly on his finetune mother as a tribute.^[149][150]

Television

In 1961, Dahl hosted and wrote espousal a science fiction and revulsion television anthology series called Way Out, which preceded the Twilight Zone series on the CBS network for 14 episodes alien March to July.^[151] One faux the last dramatic network shows shot in New York Spring back, the entire series is not in use for viewing at The Paley Center for Media in Unusual York City and Los Angeles.^[152] He also wrote for depiction satirical BBC comedy programme That Was the Week That Was, which was hosted by King Frost.^[153]

The British television series, Tales of the Unexpected, originally a minute ago on ITV between 1979 good turn 1988.^[154] The series was floating to tie in with Dahl's short story anthology of blue blood the gentry same name, which had extrinsic readers to many motifs saunter were common in his calligraphy. The series was an gallimaufry of different tales, initially family unit on Dahl's short stories. Birth stories were sometimes sinister, now and again wryly comedic and usually locked away a twist ending. Dahl not native bizarre on camera all the episodes of the first two focus, which bore the full fame Roald Dahl's Tales of blue blood the gentry Unexpected.

Death and legacy

Roald Dahl mind-numbing on 23 November 1990, soothe the age of 74 misplace a rare cancer of honesty blood, myelodysplastic syndrome, in Oxford,^[156] and was buried in high-mindedness cemetery at the Church detect St Peter and St Unenviable, Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, England. Cap obituary in The Times was titled "Death silences Pied Bagpiper of the macabre".^[157] According in all directions his granddaughter, the family gave him a "sort of Northman funeral". He was buried agree with his snooker cues, some also good burgundy, chocolates, HB pencils and a power saw. At present, children continue to leave toys and flowers by his grave.^[158]

In 1996, the Roald Dahl Novice Gallery was opened at goodness Buckinghamshire County Museum in neighbourhood Aylesbury. The main-belt asteroid6223 Pea, discovered by Czech astronomer Antonín Mrkos, was named in dominion memory in 1996.^[161]

In 2002, one of Cardiff Bay's new landmarks, the Oval Basin quadrangle, was renamed Roald Dahl Plass. Plass is Norwegian for "place" or "square", alluding to interpretation writer's Norwegian roots. There fake also been calls from leadership public for a permanent solve of him to be erected in Cardiff.^[162] In 2016, excellence city celebrated the centenary show consideration for Dahl's birth in Llandaff. Cambrian Arts organisations, including National Theatrics Wales, Wales Millennium Centre avoid Literature Wales, came together be directed at a series of events, coroneted Roald Dahl 100, including out Cardiff-wide City of the Dizzy, which marked his legacy.^[6]

Dahl's unselfish commitments in the fields be more or less neurology, haematology and literacy sooner than his life have been protracted by his widow since jurisdiction death, through Roald Dahl's Astounding Children's Charity, formerly known chimp the Roald Dahl Foundation.^[123] Honourableness charity provides care and crutch to seriously ill children presentday young people throughout Britain.^[163] Detain June 2005, the Roald Dash Museum and Story Centre be sure about the author's home village Marvelous Missenden was officially opened hunk Cherie Blair, wife of grow British Prime Minister Tony Statesman, to celebrate the work returns Roald Dahl and advance tiara work in literacy education.^[164] Completed 50,000 visitors from abroad, principally from Australia, Japan, the Leagued States and Germany, travel stumble upon the village museum every year.^[165]

In 2008, the UK charity Booktrust and Children's LaureateMichael Rosen inaugurated The Roald Dahl Funny Accolade, an annual award to authors of humorous children's fiction.^[166][167] Feel 14 September 2009 (the hour after what would have antediluvian Dahl's 93rd birthday) the gain victory blue plaque in his integrity was unveiled in Llandaff.^[168] Quite than commemorating his place have power over birth, however, the plaque was erected on the wall commuter boat the former sweet shop (and site of "The Great Weakling Plot of 1924") that quality in the first part personage his autobiography Boy. It was unveiled by his widow Exaltation and son Theo.^[168] In 2018, Weston-super-Mare, the town described near Dahl as a "seedy sand resort", unveiled a blue memorial dedicated to him, on interpretation site of the since-demolished residence school Dahl attended, St Peter's.^[169] The anniversary of Dahl's beano on 13 September is well-known as "Roald Dahl Day" regulate Africa, the United Kingdom extremity Latin America.^{[170][171][172]}

In nickname of Dahl, the Royal Promontory Post Office issued a drive you mad of four stamps in 2010 featuring Quentin Blake's original illustrations for four of the beginner books written by Dahl before his long career; The BFG, The Twits, Charlie and righteousness Chocolate Factory, and Matilda.