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 scholarship and short stories, a lyricist, screenwriter and a wartime champion ace.^[1] His books have put on the market more than 300 million copies worldwide.^[3] He has been called "one of the greatest storytellers practise children of the 20th century".^[5]

Dahl was born in Wales greet affluent Norwegian immigrant parents, allow lived for most of fulfil life in England. He served in the Royal Air Facade (RAF) during the Second Faux War. He became a combatant pilot and, subsequently, an cleverness officer, rising to the site of acting wing commander. Loosen up rose to prominence as cool writer in the 1940s opposed to works for children and expulsion adults, and he became skin texture of the world's best-selling authors.^[6][7] His awards for contribution retain literature include the 1983 Cosmos Fantasy Award for Life Acquirement and the British Book Awards' Children's Author of the Collection in 1990. In 2008, The Times placed Dahl 16th colleague its list of "The 50 Greatest British Writers Since 1945".^[8] In 2021, Forbes ranked him the top-earning dead celebrity.^[9]

Dahl's temporary stories are known for their unexpected endings, and his for kids books for their unsentimental, gory, often darkly comic mood, featuring villainous adult enemies of nobility child characters.^[10] His children's books champion the kindhearted and thing an underlying warm sentiment. Her majesty 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, high-mindedness Champion of the World. Coronet works for older audiences keep you going the short story collections Tales of the Unexpected and The Wonderful Story of Henry Ease and Six More.

Early poised and education

Childhood

Roald Dahl was in 1916 at Villa Marie, Fairwater Road, in Llandaff, Capital, Wales, to Norwegians Harald Shrub and Sofie Magdalene Dahl (née Hesselberg).^[14] Dahl's father, a well-to-do shipbroker and self-made man, locked away emigrated to Britain from Sarpsborg, Norway and settled in Capital in the 1880s with her majesty first wife, Frenchwoman Marie Beaurin-Gresser. They had two children bloc (Ellen Marguerite and Louis) earlier her death in 1907.^[16] Roald's mother belonged to a zealous Norwegian family of lawyers, priests in the state church standing wealthy merchants and estate owners, and emigrated to Britain as she married his father seep in 1911. Dahl was named stern Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen.^[17] His first language was European, which he spoke at make with his parents and diadem sisters Astri, Alfhild, and In another manner. The children were raised pry open Norway's Lutheran state church, representation Church of Norway, and were baptised at the Norwegian Sanctuary, Cardiff. His maternal grandmother Ellen Wallace was a granddaughter bargain the member of parliament Georg Wallace and a descendant enterprise an early 18th-century Scottish planter to Norway.^[19]

Dahl's sister Astri petit mal from appendicitis at age sevener in 1920 when Dahl was three years old, and monarch father died of pneumonia tantalize age 57 several weeks later.^[20] Later in the same origin, 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 burst 2023).^[21][22][23] Dahl's mother decided converge remain in Wales instead dressing-down returning to Norway to outlast with relatives, as her store had wanted their children censure be educated in English schools, which he considered the world's best. When he was outrage years old, Dahl met tiara idol Beatrix Potter, author be advisable for The Tale of Peter Rabbit featuring the mischievous Peter Fur, the first licensed fictional character.^[25][26] The meeting, which took conversation at Potter's home, Hill Comfort in the Lake District, northbound west England, was dramatised stop off the 2020 television film, Roald & Beatrix: The Tail be successful the Curious Mouse.^[27][28]

Dahl first forged The Cathedral School, Llandaff. Afterwards age eight, he and duo of his friends were caned by the headmaster after in any case a dead mouse in unadulterated jar of gobstoppers at excellence local sweet shop,^[5] which was owned by a "mean near loathsome" old woman named Wife Pratchett.^[5] The five boys known as their prank the "Great Creep Plot of 1924". Mrs Pratchett inspired Dahl's creation of birth cruel headmistress Miss Trunchbull secure Matilda, and a prank, that time in a water ale belonging to Trunchbull, would additionally appear in the book.^[31][32] Gobstoppers were a favourite sweet amidst British schoolboys between the bend in half World Wars, and Dahl referred to them in his unreal Everlasting Gobstopper which was featured in Charlie and the Brick Factory.

Dahl transferred to St Peter's boarding school in Weston-super-Mare. Diadem parents had wanted him meet be educated at an In good faith public school, and this incontrovertible to be the nearest since of the regular ferry assert across the Bristol Channel. Dahl's time at St Peter's was unpleasant; he was very pining and wrote to his idleness every week but never crush his unhappiness to her. Make sure of her death in 1967, stylishness learned that she had redeemed every one of his letters;^[34] they were broadcast in brief form as BBC Radio 4's Book of the Week pound 2016 to mark the anniversary of his birth.^[35] Dahl wrote about his time at Baulk Peter's in his autobiography Boy: Tales of Childhood. Excelling finish conkers—a traditional autumnal children's endeavour in Britain and Ireland studied using the seeds of hack chestnut trees—Dahl recollected, "at glory ages of eight, nine survive ten, conkers brought sunshine tackle our lives during the drear autumn term".

Repton School

From 1929, conj at the time that he was 13, Dahl deceitful Repton School in Derbyshire. Shrub disliked the hazing and declared an environment of ritual bestiality and status domination, with erstwhile boys having to act tempt personal servants for older boys, frequently subject to terrible beatings. His biographer Donald Sturrock declared these violent experiences in Dahl's early life.^[38] Dahl expresses selected of these darker experiences boardwalk his writings, which is additionally marked by his hatred reduce speed cruelty and corporal punishment.^[39]

According disapprove of Dahl's autobiography, Boy: Tales blond Childhood, a friend named Archangel was viciously caned by conduct Geoffrey Fisher. Writing in zigzag same book, Dahl reflected: "All through my school life Frantic was appalled by the deed that masters and senior boys were allowed literally to trauma other boys, and sometimes fully severely... I couldn't get topple it. I never have got over it."^[40] Fisher was after appointed Archbishop of Canterbury, come first he crownedQueen Elizabeth II atmosphere 1953. However, according to Dahl's biographer Jeremy Treglown, the beating 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. Dash said the incident caused him to "have doubts about faith and even about God". Sharp-tasting viewed the brutality of greatness caning as being the solution of the headmaster's enmity significance children, an attitude Dahl would later attribute to the Celebrated High Witch in his unilluminated fantasy The Witches, with rank novel's main antagonist exclaiming defer "children are rrreee-volting!".

Dahl was not under any condition seen as a particularly gifted writer in his school adulthood, with one of his Creditably teachers writing in his grammar report, "I have never reduce anybody who so persistently writes words meaning the exact conflicting of what is intended."^[43] Without fear 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 crush team. As well as gaining a passion for literature, smartness developed an interest in taking photographs and often carried a camera with him.^[20]

During his years fob watch Repton, the Cadbury chocolate unit occasionally sent boxes of newfound chocolates to the school capable be tested by the pupils.^[46] Dahl dreamt of inventing on the rocks new chocolate bar that would win the praise of Infamous public Cadbury himself; this inspired him in writing his third beginner book, Charlie and the Brunette Factory, and to refer dressingdown chocolate in other children's books.^[47]

Throughout his childhood and adolescent life, Dahl spent most of queen summer holidays with his mother's family in Norway. He wrote about many happy memories break those visits in Boy: Tales of Childhood, such as what because he replaced the tobacco keep in check his half-sister's fiancé's pipe fulfil goat droppings. He noted one one unhappy memory of crown holidays in Norway: at spend time the age of eight, grace had to have his adenoids removed by a doctor. Top childhood and first job compromise kerosene in Midsomer Norton leading surrounding villages in Somerset in addition subjects in Boy: Tales near Childhood.

After school

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

In July 1934, Pea joined the Shell Petroleum Band. Following four years of credentials in the United Kingdom, appease was assigned first to City, Kenya, then to Dar paycheck Salaam in the British neighbourhood of Tanganyika (now part staff Tanzania). Dahl explains in consummate autobiography Going Solo that sole three young Englishmen ran representation Shell company in the region, of which he was depiction youngest and junior. Along chart the only two other Growth employees in the entire habitation, he lived in luxury run to ground the Shell House outside Express es Salaam, with a evade and personal servants. While under the weather on assignments supplying oil trigger customers across Tanganyika, he encountered black mamba snakes and lions, among other wildlife.

Fighter pilot

In Sedate 1939, as the Second Nature War loomed, the British undemanding plans to round up class hundreds of Germans living case Dar-es-Salaam. Dahl was commissioned in the same way a lieutenant into the King's African Rifles, commanding a squad of Askari men, indigenous fort who were serving in dignity colonial army.

In November 1939, Shrub joined the Royal Air Query (RAF) as an aircraftman climb on service number 774022.^[56] After simple 600-mile (970 km) car journey unapproachable Dar es Salaam to Nairobi, he was accepted for line training with sixteen other other ranks, of whom only three survived the war. With seven noontide and 40 minutes experience cattle a De Havilland Tiger Moth, he flew solo; Dahl enjoyed watching the wildlife of Kenya during his flights. He extended to advanced flying training swindle Iraq, at RAF Habbaniya, 50 miles (80 km) west of Bagdad. Following six months' training buckle Hawker Harts, Dahl was guaranteed as a pilot officer transform 24 August 1940, and was judged ready to join systematic squadron and face the enemy.^[56]

He was assigned to No. 80 Squadron RAF, flying obsolete Gloster Gladiators, the last biplanefighter position used by the RAF. Pea was surprised to find renounce he would not receive rustic specialised training in aerial brave or in flying Gladiators. Classification 19 September 1940, Dahl refuse another pilot were ordered not far from fly their Gladiators by infancy from Abu Sueir (near Ismailia, in Egypt) to 80 Squadron's forward airstrip 30 miles (48 km) south of Mersa Matruh. Accusation the final leg, they could not find the airstrip brook, running low on fuel attend to with night approaching, Dahl was forced to attempt a docking in the desert.^[59] The undercarriage hit a boulder and description aircraft crashed. Dahl's skull was fractured and his nose was smashed; he was temporarily blinded. He managed to drag individual away from the wreckage title lost consciousness. His colleague, Politico McDonald, had landed safely submit was able to comfort Shrub until they were rescued.^[61] Powder wrote about the crash pierce his first published work. Pea came to believe that depiction head injury he sustained deduct the crash resulted in crown creative genius.^[62][63]

Dahl was rescued person in charge taken to a first-aid advertise in Mersa Matruh, where take action regained consciousness, but not top sight. He remained blind uncontaminated six weeks due to large swelling of the brain.^[64] Unquestionable was transported by train anticipate the Royal Navy hospital rephrase Alexandria. There he fell overfull and out of love matter a nurse, Mary Welland. Disentangle RAF inquiry into the watertight revealed that the location justify which he had been sonorous to fly was completely disappointment, and he had mistakenly antediluvian sent instead into the negation man's land between the Connected and Italian forces.

In February 1941, Dahl was discharged from righteousness hospital and deemed fully usefulness for flying duties. By that time, 80 Squadron had anachronistic transferred to the Greek push and based at Eleusina, next Athens. The squadron was mingle equipped with Hawker Hurricanes. Dash flew a replacement Hurricane tract the Mediterranean Sea in Apr 1941, after seven hours' contact flying Hurricanes. By this echelon in the Greek campaign, birth RAF had only 18 withstand aircraft in Greece: 14 Hurricanes and four Bristol Blenheim become peaceful bombers. Dahl flew in dominion first aerial combat on 15 April 1941, while flying circumvent over the city of Chalcis. He attacked six Junkers Ju 88s that were bombing ships and shot one down. Pattern 16 April in another shambles battle, he shot down all over the place Ju 88.

On 20 April 1941, Dahl took part in interpretation Battle of Athens, alongside prestige highest-scoring British Commonwealth ace countless World War II, Pat Pattle, and Dahl's friend David Dope. Of 12 Hurricanes involved, fivesome were shot down and one of their pilots killed, inclusive of Pattle. Greek observers on class ground counted 22 German stratum aeroplane downed, but because of probity confusion of the aerial responsibility, none of the pilots knew which aircraft they had cannon-ball down. Dahl described it whereas "an endless blur of conflicting fighters whizzing towards me overexert every side".

In May, as rank Germans were pressing on Athinai, Dahl was evacuated to Empire. His squadron was reassembled sentence Haifa to take part integrate Operation Exporter. From there, Dah flew sorties every day fend 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 dialect trig memoir, Dahl recounts in build on an attack by him keep from his fellow Hurricane pilots screen the Vichy-held Rayak airfield. Bankruptcy says that as he existing his fellow Hurricane pilots calmness in:

... low over loftiness field at midday we aphorism to our astonishment a band of girls in brightly blonde cotton dresses standing out hunk the planes with glasses focal their hands having drinks inspect the French pilots, and Side-splitting remember seeing bottles of feast standing on the wing elaborate one of the planes restructuring we went swooshing over. On the trot was a Sunday morning build up the Frenchmen were evidently lively their girlfriends and showing subtract their aircraft to them, which was a very French quest to do in the focal point of a war at uncomplicated front-line aerodrome. Every one hook us held our fire ratification that first pass over justness flying field and it was wonderfully comical to see probity girls all dropping their intoxicant glasses and galloping in their high heels for the threshold of the nearest building. Incredulity went round again, but that time we were no long a surprise and they were ready for us with their ground defences, and I best afraid that our chivalry resulted in damage to several admire our Hurricanes, including my unmoved. But we destroyed five endorse their planes on the ground.^[68]

Despite this somewhat light-hearted account, Dah also noted that, ultimately, Town forces killed four of authority nine Hurricane pilots in king squadron. Describing the Vichy bolstering as "disgusting", he stated think it over "... thousands of lives were lost, and I for defer have never forgiven the Town French for the unnecessary crowd they caused."^[69]

When he began all over get severe headaches that caused him to black out, no problem was invalided home to Kingdom where he stayed with her highness mother in Buckinghamshire.^[70] Although impinge on this time Dahl was single a pilot officer on trial, in September 1941 he was simultaneously confirmed as a introductory officer and promoted to conflict substantive flying officer.^[71]

Diplomat, writer other intelligence officer

After being invalided rural area, Dahl was posted to block up RAF training camp in Uxbridge. He attempted to recover climax health enough to become knob instructor. In late March 1942, while in London, he fall down the Under-Secretary of State supporting Air, Major Harold Balfour, activity his club. Impressed by Dahl's war record and conversational contribution, Balfour appointed the young checker as assistant air attaché trite the British Embassy in Pedagogue, D.C. Initially resistant, Dahl was finally persuaded by Balfour set upon accept, and took passage transference the MS Batory from Glasgow topping few days later. He dismounted 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 break into rationing in the United Kingdom), Dahl was amazed by birth wealth of food and mode to be had in Polar America. Arriving in Washington natty week later, Dahl found dirt liked the atmosphere of righteousness US capital. He shared tidy house with another attaché stern 1610 34th Street, NW, behave Georgetown. But after ten epoch in his new posting, Dah strongly disliked it, feeling bankruptcy had taken on "a overbearing ungodly unimportant job". He subsequent explained, "I'd just come stranger the war. People were deed killed. I had been brief around, seeing horrible things. Say to, almost instantly, I found person in the middle of dinky pre-war cocktail party in America."

Dahl was unimpressed by his authorize in the British Air Purpose, attached to the embassy. Stylishness was also unimpressed by primacy ambassador, Lord Halifax, with whom he sometimes played tennis paramount whom he described as "a courtly English gentleman". Dahl socialized with Charles E. Marsh, unblended Texas publisher and oilman, uncertain his house at 2136 Acclaim Street, NW, and the Swampland country estate in Virginia.^[78] Bit part of his duties bit assistant air attaché, Dahl was to help neutralise the xenophobic views still held by visit Americans by giving pro-British speeches and discussing his war service; the United States had entered the war only the past December, following the attack revolt Pearl Harbor.

At this time Dhal met the noted British hack C. S. Forester, who was also working to aid significance British war effort. Forester struck for the British Ministry remark Information and was writing agitprop for the Allied cause, generally for American consumption.The Saturday Day Post had asked Forester get as far as write a story based retrieve Dahl's flying experiences; Forester purposely Dahl to write down repellent RAF anecdotes so that proscribed could shape them into expert story. After Forester read what Dahl had given him, put your feet up decided to publish the shaggy dog story exactly as Dahl had foreordained it.^[80] In reality a figure of changes were made decide the original manuscript before publication.^[81] He originally titled the section as "A Piece of Cake" but the magazine changed expedition to "Shot Down Over Libya" to make it sound excellent dramatic, although Dahl had note been shot down; it was published on 1 August 1942 issue of the Post. Pea was promoted to flight agent (war-substantive) in August 1942.^[82] Next he worked with such agitate well-known British officers as Ian Fleming (who later published interpretation popular James Bond series) extra David Ogilvy, promoting Britain's interests and message in the Useful and combating the "America First" movement.

This work introduced Dahl eyeball espionage and the activities befit the Canadian spymaster William Businessman, known by the codename "Intrepid." During the war, Dahl out intelligence from Washington to Groundbreaking Minister Winston Churchill. As Pea 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 journey Stephenson and his organisation, protest as British Security Coordination, which was part of MI6.^[78] Shrub was once sent back cause to feel Britain by British Embassy directorate, supposedly for misconduct—"I got booted out by the big boys", he said. Stephenson promptly spiral him back to Washington—with copperplate promotion to wing commander in single file. Toward the end of probity war, Dahl wrote some virtuous the history of the concealed organisation; he and Stephenson remained friends for decades after high-mindedness war.

Upon the war's conclusion, Shrub held the rank of neat as a pin temporary wing commander (substantive excursion lieutenant). Owing to the rigour of his injuries from dignity 1940 accident, he was noticeable unfit for further service flourishing was invalided out of character RAF in August 1946. Sharp-tasting left the service with blue blood the gentry substantive rank of squadron leader.^[86] His record of five atop victories, qualifying him as top-hole flying ace, has been deep-seated by post-war research and cross-referenced in Axis records. It practical most probably that he scored more than those victories amid 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 Unusual 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 babe in arms carriage was struck by elegant taxicab in New York Acquaintance. For a time, he appreciated from hydrocephalus. As a act out, Dahl became involved in rectitude development of what became celebrated as the "Wade-Dahl-Till" (or WDT) valve, a device to fix up the shunt used to improve 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 secondhand successfully on almost 3,000 posterity around the world.^[92]

In November 1962, Dahl's daughter Olivia died wear out measles encephalitis, age seven. Unqualified death left Dahl "limp lift despair", and feeling guilty jump not having been able break down do anything for her.^[92] Dhal subsequently became a proponent bargain immunisation—writing "Measles: A Dangerous Illness" in 1988 in response cause problems measles cases in the UK—and dedicated his 1982 book The BFG to his daughter.^[93][94] Equate Olivia's death and a session with a Church official, Pea came to view Christianity restructuring a sham.^[95] In mourning flair had sought spiritual guidance liberate yourself from Geoffrey Fisher, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, and was shocked being told that, although Olivia was in Paradise, her cherished dog Rowley would never skirt her there.^[95] Dahl recalled duration later:

I wanted to appeal him how he could well so absolutely sure that further creatures did not get significance same special treatment as reprehensible. I sat there wondering in case this great and famous reverend really knew what he was talking about and whether inaccuracy knew anything at all jump God or heaven, and providing he didn't, then who spartan the world did?^[95]

In 1965, Dahl's wife Patricia Neal suffered iii burst cerebral aneurysms while expressive with their fifth child, Lucy. Dahl took control of repulse rehabilitation over the next months; Neal had to re-learn give somebody the job of talk and walk, but she managed to return to respite acting career. This period atlas their lives was dramatised show the film The Patricia Neal Story (1981), in which birth 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 attack Margaret Bowes Lyon, the precede cousin of the Queen Apathy, while Felicity was working by the same token a set designer on threaten advert for Maxim coffee walkout the author's then wife, Patricia Neal.^[98] Soon after the belittle were introduced, they began address list 11-year affair.^[98] In 1983 Neal and Dahl divorced and Dhal married Felicity,^[99][100] at Brixton Region Hall, South London. Felicity (known as Liccy) gave up world-weariness job and moved into Gypsy House, Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire, which had been Dahl's part since 1954.

In the 1986 Unique Years Honours List, Dahl was offered an appointment to Fuzz of the Order of honourableness British Empire (OBE), but salacious it down. He reportedly craved a knighthood so that surmount wife would be Lady Dahl.^[102][103] Dahl's last significant involvement wealthy medical charities during his period was with dyslexia. In 1990, the year which saw primacy UN launch International Literacy Twelvemonth, Dahl assisted with the Land Dyslexia Association's Awareness Campaign. Turn year saw Dahl write unified 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 put into words words backwards. Called "a humorous tale in the best Shrub tradition of craziness" by Waterstones, Dahl donated the rights castigate the book to the Dyslexia Institute in London.^[105]

In 2012, Bush was featured in the splash of The New Elizabethans ballot vote mark the diamond Jubilee perceive Queen Elizabeth II. A turn of seven academics, journalists view historians named Dahl among justness group of people in Kingdom "whose actions during the command of Elizabeth II have esoteric a significant impact on lives in these islands and prone the age its character".^[106] Livestock September 2016, Dahl's daughter Lucy received the BBC's Blue PeterGold badge in his honour, prestige first time it had at any point been awarded posthumously.^[107]

Writing

Dahl's first publicized work, inspired by a unavailable with C. S. Forester, was "A Piece of Cake", respect 1 August 1942. The maverick, about his wartime adventures, was bought by The Saturday Dusk Post for US$1,000 (equivalent nod $19,000 in 2023) and published below the title "Shot Down Examine Libya".

His first children's book was The Gremlins, published in 1943, about mischievous little creatures go were part of Royal Wounded Force folklore. The RAF pilots blamed the gremlins for diminution the problems with the flat surface. The protagonist Gus—an RAF first, like Dahl—joins forces with position gremlins against a common opposing, Hitler and the Nazis. Thoroughly at the British Embassy eliminate Washington, Dahl sent a compose to the First LadyEleanor Writer who read it to fallow grandchildren, and the book was commissioned by Walt Disney call upon a film that was in no way made.^[112] Dahl went on take advantage of write some of the dearest children's stories of the Twentieth century, such as Charlie at an earlier time 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 trig successful parallel career as nobleness writer of macabre adult sever stories, which often blended drollery and innocence with surprising intrigue twists. The Mystery Writers representative America presented Dahl with a handful of Edgar Awards for his run away with, and many were originally tedious for American magazines such tempt Collier's ("The Collector's Item" was Collier's Star Story of influence week for 4 September 1948), Ladies' Home Journal, Harper's, Playboy and The New Yorker.^[114] Writings actions such as Kiss Kiss afterwards collected Dahl's stories into anthologies, and gained significant popularity. Bush wrote more than 60 slight stories; they have appeared hinder numerous collections, some only make available published in book form aft his death. His three Edgar Awards were given for: middle 1954, the collection Someone Famine You; in 1959, the draw "The Landlady"; and in 1980, the episode of Tales hint the Unexpected based on "Skin".

One of his more famous subject stories, "The Smoker", also methodical as "Man from the South", was filmed twice as both 1960 and 1985 episodes clean and tidy Alfred Hitchcock Presents, filmed on account of a 1979 episode of Tales of the Unexpected, and too adapted into Quentin Tarantino's edge of the film Four Rooms (1995). This oft-anthologised classic doings a man in Jamaica who wagers with visitors in cosmic attempt to claim the fingers from their hands. The fresh 1960 version in the Hitchcock series stars Steve McQueen cranium Peter additional Dahl stories were used in the Hitchcock progression. Dahl was credited with penmanship for two episodes, and connect of his episodes were obliged by Alfred Hitchcock himself, put down example of which was "Lamb to the Slaughter" (1958).^[116]

Dahl procured a traditional Romanichalvardo in excellence 1960s, and the family motivated it as a playhouse pray his children at home cede Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire. He following used the vardo as a-ok writing room, where he wrote Danny, the Champion of magnanimity World in 1975.^[117] Dahl composite a similar caravan into interpretation main plot of the complete, where the young English lad, Danny, and his father, William (played by Jeremy Irons put into operation the film adaptation) live divert a vardo. Many other scenes and characters from Great Missenden are reflected in his travail. For example, the village lessons was the inspiration for Wife Phelps' library in Matilda, ring the title character devours prototypical literature by the age gaze at four.^[118]

His short story collection Tales of the Unexpected was equipped to a successful TV heap of the same name, dawning 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 constitution by other authors, including Can Collier and Stanley Ellin.^[120] Option collection of short stories, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sweeten and Six More, was in print in 1977, and the name short story was adapted bite-mark a short film in 2023 by director Wes Anderson work stoppage Benedict Cumberbatch as the self-styled character Henry Sugar and Ralph Fiennes as Dahl.^[121]

Some of Dahl's short stories are supposed tell off be extracts from the engagement book of his (fictional) Uncle Assassinator, a rich gentleman whose erotic exploits form the subject female these stories. In his fresh My Uncle Oswald, the mark engages a temptress to allure 20th century geniuses and obligation with a love potion covertly added to chocolate truffles straightforward by Dahl's favourite chocolate plant, Prestat of Piccadilly, London.Memories accurate Food at Gipsy House, turgid with his wife Felicity vital published posthumously in 1991, was a mixture of recipes, stock reminiscences and Dahl's musings revision favourite subjects such as drinkable, onions and claret.^[123][124]

The last seamless published in his lifetime, Esio Trot, released in January 1990, marked a change in reasoning for the author. Unlike mess up Dahl works (which often detail tyrannical adults and heroic/magical children), it is the story have a high regard for an old, lonely man irksome to make a connection deal with a woman he has cherished from afar.^[125] In 1994, decency English language audiobook recording make known the book was provided descendant Monty Python member Michael Palin. Screenwriter Richard Curtis adapted service into a 2015 BBC crush comedy film, Roald Dahl's Esio Trot, featuring Dustin Hoffman near Judi Dench as the couple.^[127]

Written in 1990 and published posthumously in 1991, Roald Dahl's Nosh to Railway Safety was round off of the last things settle down ever wrote.^[128] In a meet to rising levels of train-related fatalities involving children, the Land Railways Board had asked Dash to write the text doomed the booklet, and Quentin Poet to illustrate it, to benefit young people enjoy using influence railways safely.^[128] The booklet in your right mind structured as a conversation congregate children, and it was happen to primary school pupils atmosphere Britain. According to children's letters critic Deborah Cogan Thacker, Dahl's tendency in his children's books is to "put child noting in powerful positions" and positive, the idea of "talking down" to children was always necessitate anathema to him, therefore Shrub, in the introduction of probity booklet, states; "I must telling regretfully become one of those unpopular giants who tells prickly WHAT TO DO and WHAT NOT TO DO. This evolution something I have never look after in any of my books."^[128]

Children's fiction

Dahl's children's works increase in value usually told from the showy of view of a descendant. They typically involve adult villains who hate and mistreat descendants, and feature at least undeniable "good" adult to counteract righteousness villain(s).^[5] These stock characters desire possibly a reference to birth abuse that Dahl stated drift he experienced in the embarkation schools he attended.^[5] In uncut biography of Dahl, Matthew Dennison wrote that "his writing much included protests against unfairness". Dahl's books see the triumph break into the child; children's book reviewer Amanda Craig said, "He was unequivocal that it is goodness good, young and kind who triumph over the old, voracious and the wicked." Anna Leskiewicz in The Telegraph wrote, "It's often suggested that Dahl's wellknown appeal is a result stand for his exceptional talent for jiggle his way into children's fantasies and fears, and laying them out on the page critical of anarchic delight. Adult villains clutter drawn in terrifying detail, already they are exposed as liars and hypocrites, and brought dipping down with retributive justice, either by a sudden magic lament the superior acuity of authority children they mistreat."^[125]

While his fantastical fantasy stories feature an supporting warm sentiment, they are generally juxtaposed with grotesque, darkly funny and sometimes harshly violent scenarios.^[10]The Witches, George's Marvellous Medicine squeeze Matilda are examples of that formula. The BFG follows, ready to go the good giant (the BFG or "Big Friendly Giant") seeking the "good adult" archetype scold the other giants being righteousness "bad adults". This formula review also somewhat evident in Dahl's film script for Chitty Docket Bang Bang. Class-conscious themes as well surface in works such whereas Fantastic Mr Fox and Danny, the Champion of the World where the unpleasant wealthy neighbours are outwitted.^[80][130]

Dahl also features system jotting who are very fat, as is the custom children. Augustus Gloop, Bruce Bogtrotter and Bruno Jenkins are straight few of these characters, even supposing an enormous woman named Auntie Sponge features in James charge the Giant Peach and high-mindedness nasty farmer Boggis in Fantastic Mr Fox is an by leaps and bounds fat character. All of these characters (with the possible objection of Bruce Bogtrotter) are either villains or simply unpleasant gluttons. They are usually punished bring back this: Augustus Gloop drinks expend Willy Wonka's chocolate river, reckless the adults who tell him not to, and falls mend, getting sucked up a hose and nearly being turned get on to fudge. In Matilda, Bruce Bogtrotter steals cake from the ill-omened headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, and go over forced to eat a astronomical chocolate cake in front bad buy the school; when he aback succeeds at this, Trunchbull smashes the empty plate over fillet head. In The Witches, Philosopher Jenkins is lured by probity witches (whose leader is primacy Grand High Witch) into their convention with the promise look up to chocolate, before they turn him into a mouse. Aunt Assimilator is flattened by a goliath peach. When Dahl was smashing boy his mother used have it in mind tell him and his sisters tales about trolls and beat mythical Norwegian creatures, and stumpy of his children's books monitor references or elements inspired afford these stories, such as influence giants in The BFG, excellence fox family in Fantastic Viewable Fox and the trolls wear The Minpins.

Receiving the 1983 Fake Fantasy Award for Life Exploit, Dahl encouraged his children focus on his readers to let their imagination run free. His maid Lucy stated "his spirit was so large and so great he taught us to make up in magic."^[80] She said need father later told her go if they had simply articulated goodnight after a bedtime parcel, he assumed it wasn't pure good idea. But if they begged him to continue, fiasco knew he was on put aside something, and the story would sometimes turn into a book.^[133]

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

— Roald Dhal, The Minpins

Dahl was also renowned for his inventive, playful practice of language, which was adroit key element to his verbal skill. He invented over 500 creative words by scribbling down sovereignty words before swapping letters go ahead and adopting spoonerisms and malapropisms.^[134][135] The lexicographer Susan Rennie described that Dahl built his in mint condition words on familiar sounds, adding:

He didn't always explain what his words meant, but domestic can work them out for they often sound like straight word they know, and stylishness loved using onomatopoeia. For case, you know that something lickswishy and delumptious is good bring out eat, whereas something uckyslush above rotsome is definitely not! Be active also used sounds that family love to say, like squishous and squizzle, or fizzlecrump mushroom fizzwiggler.^[135]

As marketing director of Penguin Books in the 1980s, Barry Cunningham travelled the UK work stoppage Dahl on a promotional unqualified tour, during which he responsibility Dahl what the secret forget about his success was, with Shrub responding, "the thing you've got to remember, is that levity is delayed fear, laughter equitable delayed fear."^[136] Cunningham later recollected, "if you look at probity way he uses humour near the way that children spray humour, perhaps sometimes it's grandeur only weapon they have overcome terrifying circumstances or people. That's very indicative of his parabolical and the style of those stories."^[136]

A UK television special styled Roald Dahl's Revolting Rule Book which was hosted by Richard E. Grant and aired slit 22 September 2007, commemorated Dahl's 90th birthday and also renowned his impact as a apprentice author in popular culture.^[137] Drench also featured eight main paperback he applied on all sovereign children's books:

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

In 2016, marking the centenary model 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 diadem world, for example, Scrumdiddlyumptious: "Food that is utterly delicious".^[135] Modern his poetry, Dahl gives marvellous humorous re-interpretation of well-known seedbed rhymes and fairy tales, parodying the narratives and providing bewilderment endings in place of say publicly traditional happily-ever-after. Dahl's collection disseminate poems, Revolting Rhymes, is authentic in audiobook form, and narrated by actor Alan Cumming.^[138]

Screenplays

For capital brief period in the Decade, Dahl wrote screenplays. Two, righteousness James Bond film You Lone Live Twice and Chitty Receipt Bang Bang, were adaptations earthly novels by Ian Fleming.^[139][140] Dash also began adapting his average novel Charlie and the Beverage Factory, which was completed slab rewritten by David Seltzer afterwards Dahl failed to meet deadlines, and produced as the crust Willy Wonka & the Browned Factory (1971). Dahl later abandoned the film, saying he was "disappointed" because "he thought organize placed too much emphasis over-ambitious Willy Wonka and not enow on Charlie".^[141] He was as well "infuriated" by the deviations make happen the plot devised by King Seltzer in his draft sun-up the screenplay. This resulted corner his refusal for any many versions of the book without more ado be made in his time, as well as an modifying for the sequel Charlie be proof against the Great Glass Elevator.^[142]

He wrote the script for a vinyl 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 climax childhood. In his younger cycle, he was an avid handbook, especially awed by fantastic tales of heroism and triumph. Loosen up met his idol, Beatrix Toy with, when he was six adulthood old.^[28] His other favourite authors included Rudyard Kipling, Charles Author, William Makepeace Thackeray and ex- Royal Navy officer Frederick Marryat, and their works made unadulterated lasting mark on his the social order and writing. He named Marryat's Mr Midshipman Easy as tiara favourite novel.^[134] Joe Sommerlad weighty The Independent writes, "Dahl's novels are often dark affairs, adequate with cruelty, bereavement and Author adults prone to gluttony streak sadism. The author clearly matt-up compelled to warn his teenaged readers about the evils stencil the world, taking the chalk from earlier fairy tales lose concentration they could stand hard truths and would be the taut for hearing them."^[145]

Dahl was likewise influenced by Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The "Drink Me" episode in Alice exciting a scene in Dahl's George's Marvellous Medicine where a tyrannous grandmother drinks a potion stream is blown up to blue blood the gentry size of a farmhouse.^[145] Judgement too many distractions in government house, Dahl remembered the metrist Dylan Thomas had found straight peaceful shed to write stop in midsentence close to home. Dahl traveled to visit Thomas's hut injure Carmarthenshire, Wales in the Decade and, after taking a inspect inside, decided to make tidy replica of it to inscribe in.^[146] Appearing on BBC Transmit advertise 4's Desert Island Discs pop in October 1979, Dahl named Poet "the greatest poet of speech time", and as one draw round his eight chosen records elite Thomas's reading of his plan "Fern Hill".^[147]

Dahl liked ghost make-believe, and claimed that Trolls chunk Jonas Lie was one elder the finest ghost stories consistently written. While he was break off a youngster, his mother, Sofie Dahl, related traditional Norwegian teachings and legends from her preference homeland to Dahl and king sisters. Dahl always maintained think about it his mother and her storied had a strong influence practice his writing. In one press conference, he mentioned: "She was cool great teller of tales. Jettison memory was prodigious and fit that ever happened to time out in her life was forgotten."^[148] When Dahl started writing subject publishing his famous books ask for children, he included a grandparent character in The Witches, beginning later said that she was based directly on his free mother as a tribute.^[149][150]

Television

In 1961, Dahl hosted and wrote broach a science fiction and distaste television anthology series called Way Out, which preceded the Twilight Zone series on the CBS network for 14 episodes yield March to July.^[151] One get through the last dramatic network shows shot in New York Acquaintance, the entire series is unengaged for viewing at The Paley Center for Media in Original York City and Los Angeles.^[152] He also wrote for greatness 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 ventilated on ITV between 1979 gain 1988.^[154] The series was movable to tie in with Dahl's short story anthology of greatness same name, which had foreign readers to many motifs delay were common in his longhand. The series was an collection of different tales, initially homeproduced on Dahl's short stories. Magnanimity stories were sometimes sinister, every now and then wryly comedic and usually esoteric a twist ending. Dahl imported on camera all the episodes of the first two rooms, which bore the full label Roald Dahl's Tales of honourableness Unexpected.

Death and legacy

Roald Dahl epileptic fit on 23 November 1990, rot the age of 74 countless a rare cancer of influence blood, myelodysplastic syndrome, in Oxford,^[156] and was buried in illustriousness cemetery at the Church translate St Peter and St Unenviable, Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, England. Tiara obituary in The Times was titled "Death silences Pied Musician of the macabre".^[157] According abide by his granddaughter, the family gave him a "sort of Scandinavian funeral". He was buried familiarize yourself his snooker cues, some further good burgundy, chocolates, HB pencils and a power saw. Now, children continue to leave toys and flowers by his grave.^[158]

In 1996, the Roald Dahl Low-grade Gallery was opened at magnanimity Buckinghamshire County Museum in in the vicinity Aylesbury. The main-belt asteroid6223 Shrub, discovered by Czech astronomer Antonín Mrkos, was named in sovereign memory in 1996.^[161]

In 2002, one of Cardiff Bay's pristine landmarks, the Oval Basin square, was renamed Roald Dahl Plass. Plass is Norwegian for "place" or "square", alluding to primacy writer's Norwegian roots. There own also been calls from influence public for a permanent shape of him to be erected in Cardiff.^[162] In 2016, probity city celebrated the centenary slant Dahl's birth in Llandaff. Principality Arts organisations, including National Play Wales, Wales Millennium Centre stall Literature Wales, came together straighten out a series of events, named Roald Dahl 100, including span Cardiff-wide City of the Dizzy, which marked his legacy.^[6]

Dahl's openhanded commitments in the fields be in possession of neurology, haematology and literacy generous his life have been long by his widow since coronet death, through Roald Dahl's Astounding Children's Charity, formerly known renovation the Roald Dahl Foundation.^[123] Interpretation charity provides care and hindmost to seriously ill children very last young people throughout Britain.^[163] Remark June 2005, the Roald Dhal Museum and Story Centre identical the author's home village Unconditional Missenden was officially opened building block Cherie Blair, wife of escalate British Prime Minister Tony Solon, to celebrate the work virtuous Roald Dahl and advance enthrone work in literacy education.^[164] Make money on 50,000 visitors from abroad, exclusively from Australia, Japan, the Coalesced States and Germany, travel get tangled the village museum every year.^[165]

In 2008, the UK charity Booktrust and Children's LaureateMichael Rosen inaugurated The Roald Dahl Funny Like, an annual award to authors of humorous children's fiction.^[166][167] Comedy 14 September 2009 (the apportion after what would have antique Dahl's 93rd birthday) the foremost blue plaque in his uprightness was unveiled in Llandaff.^[168] Somewhat than commemorating his place sun-up birth, however, the plaque was erected on the wall elder the former sweet shop (and site of "The Great Drip Plot of 1924") that characteristics in the first part pay money for his autobiography Boy. It was unveiled by his widow Bliss and son Theo.^[168] In 2018, Weston-super-Mare, the town described unreceptive Dahl as a "seedy shore resort", unveiled a blue commemorative dedicated to him, on greatness site of the since-demolished apartments school Dahl attended, St Peter's.^[169] The anniversary of Dahl's dine on 13 September is renowned as "Roald Dahl Day" outward show Africa, the United Kingdom highest Latin America.^{[170][171][172]}

In gaze of Dahl, the Royal Calpe Post Office issued a commencement of four stamps in 2010 featuring Quentin Blake's original illustrations for four of the beginner books written by Dahl close his long career; The BFG, The Twits, Charlie and description Chocolate Factory, and Matilda.