.Roald Dahl (; 13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British novelist, short story writer, poet, screenwriter, and fighter pilot. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide.Dahl was born in to Norwegian immigrant parents, and he served in the Royal Air Force during the.

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He became a flying ace and intelligence officer, rising to the rank of acting wing commander. He rose to prominence as a writer in the 1940s with works for children and for adults, and he became one of the world's best-selling authors. He has been referred to as 'one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20th century'.

His awards for contribution to literature include the 1983 and the Children's Author of the Year in 1990. In 2008, The Times placed Dahl 16th on its list of 'The 50 greatest British writers since 1945'.Dahl's short stories are known for their unexpected endings, and his children's books for their unsentimental, macabre, often darkly comic mood, featuring villainous adult enemies of the child characters. His books champion the kindhearted and feature an underlying warm sentiment. His works for children include,. His adult works include. Pratchett's former sweet shop in Llandaff, Cardiff has a commemorating the mischief played by young Roald Dahl and his friends, who were regular customers.Dahl's sister Astri died from appendicitis at age 7 in 1920 when Dahl was three years old, and his father died of pneumonia at age 57 several weeks later.

Later that year, his younger sister Asta was born. Dahl's mother decided to remain in Wales instead of returning to Norway to live with relatives, as her husband had wanted their children to be educated in English schools, which he considered the world's best.Dahl first attended the. At age eight, he and four of his friends were caned by the headmaster after putting a dead mouse in a jar of at the local sweet shop, which was owned by a 'mean and loathsome' old woman named Mrs. The five boys named their prank the '. Gobstoppers were a favourite sweet among British schoolboys between the two World Wars, and Dahl referred to them in his fictional which was featured in.Dahl transferred to St. Peter's boarding school in. His parents had wanted him to be educated at an, and this proved to be the nearest because of the regular across the.

Dahl's time at St. Peter's was unpleasant; he was very homesick and wrote to his mother every week but never revealed his unhappiness to her. After her death in 1967, he learned that she had saved every one of his letters. Those letters were abridged and broadcast as BBC Radio 4's in 2016 to mark the centenary of his birth. Dahl wrote about his time at St. Peter's in his autobiography.

Repton School. Dahl's leather flying helmet on display in the in Great MissendenIn August 1939, as the Second World War loomed, the British made plans to round up the hundreds of Germans living in.

Dahl was commissioned as a into the, commanding a platoon of men, indigenous troops who were serving in the colonial army.In November 1939, Dahl joined the as an with service number 774022. After a 600-mile (970 km) car journey from Dar es Salaam to, he was accepted for flight training with sixteen other men, among whom only three survived the war. With seven hours and 40 minutes experience in a, he flew solo; Dahl enjoyed watching the wildlife of during his flights. He continued to advanced flying training in Iraq, at, 50 miles (80 km) west of. Following six months' training on, Dahl was commissioned as a on 24 August 1940, and was judged ready to join a squadron and face the enemy. Dahl was flying a when he crash landed in LibyaHe was assigned to, flying obsolete, the last used by the RAF.

Dahl was surprised to find that he would not receive any specialised training in, or in flying Gladiators. On 19 September 1940, Dahl was ordered to fly his Gladiator by stages from Abu Sueir (near, in ) to 80 Squadron's forward 30 miles (48 km) south of. On the final leg he could not find the airstrip and, running low on and with night approaching, he was forced to attempt a in the desert. The undercarriage hit a boulder and the aircraft crashed. Dahl's skull was fractured and his nose was smashed; he was temporarily blinded.

He managed to drag himself away from the blazing wreckage and passed out. He wrote about the crash in his first published work.Dahl was rescued and taken to a post in Mersa Matruh, where he regained consciousness, but not his sight. He was transported by train to the Royal Navy hospital in. There he fell in and out of love with a nurse, Mary Welland. A RAF inquiry into the crash revealed that the location to which he had been told to fly was completely wrong, and he had mistakenly been sent instead to the between the Allied and Italian forces. And Roald DahlDahl married American actress on 2 July 1953 at in New York City.

Their marriage lasted for 30 years and they had five children:. Olivia Twenty (20 April 1955 – 17 November 1962);. (born 1957), who became an author, and mother of author, cookbook writer and former model (after whom Sophie in is named).;.

Theo Matthew (born 1960);. (born 1964);. and (born 1965).On 5 December 1960, four-month-old Theo Dahl was severely injured when his baby carriage was struck by a taxicab in New York City. For a time, he suffered from.

As a result, his father became involved in the development of what became known as the ' (or WDT) valve, a device to improve the used to alleviate the condition. The valve was a collaboration between Dahl, hydraulic engineer Stanley Wade, and London's neurosurgeon Kenneth Till, and was used successfully on almost 3,000 children around the world.In November 1962, Dahl's daughter Olivia died of, age seven. Her death left Dahl 'limp with despair', and feeling guilty about not having been able to do anything for her. Dahl subsequently became a proponent of and dedicated his 1982 book to his daughter.

After Olivia's death and a meeting with a Church official, Dahl came to view Christianity as a sham. While mourning her loss, he had sought spiritual guidance from, the former Archbishop of Canterbury. He was dismayed by Fisher telling him that, although Olivia was in Paradise, her beloved dog Rowley would never join her there. Dahl recalled years later: “I wanted to ask him how he could be so absolutely sure that other creatures did not get the same special treatment as us.

I sat there wondering if this great and famous churchman really knew what he was talking about and whether he knew anything at all about God or heaven, and if he didn't, then who in the world did?In 1965, his wife Patricia Neal suffered three burst while pregnant with their fifth child, Lucy. Dahl took control of her rehabilitation over the next months; Neal had to re-learn to talk and walk, but she managed to return to her acting career. This period of their lives was dramatised in the film The Patricia Neal Story (1981), in which the couple were played. Dahl signing books in Amsterdam, Netherlands, October 1988Neal and Dahl divorced in 1983. He married, niece of Francis D'Abreu who was married to Margaret Ann Bowes Lyon - 1st cousin of the late Queen Mother, at,.

Dahl and Crosland had previously been in a relationship. Felicity (known as Liccy) gave up her job and moved into 'Gipsy House', in, which had been Dahl's home since 1954.In 1983 Dahl reviewed Tony Clifton's God Cried, a picture book about the siege of West Beirut by the Israeli army during the.

He wrote that the book would make readers 'violently anti-Israeli', stating: 'I am not anti-Semitic. I am anti-Israel.' Dahl told a reporter in 1983: 'There's a trait in the Jewish character that does provoke animosity, maybe it's a kind of lack of generosity towards non-Jews.

I mean there is always a reason why anti-anything crops up anywhere; even a stinker like Hitler didn't just pick on them for no reason.' In 1990, during an interview with, Dahl explained that his issue with Israel began when they invaded Lebanon in 1982: “they killed 22,000 civilians when they bombed Beirut. It was very much hushed up in the newspapers because they are primarily Jewish-owned. I’m certainly anti-Israeli and I’ve become antisemitic in as much as that you get a Jewish person in another country like England strongly supporting Zionism.” As a result of these views, in 2014 the decided not to produce a coin to commemorate the centenary of Dahl's birth because he was considered to be 'associated with antisemitism and not regarded as an author of the highest reputation'. Dahl had Jewish friends, including philosopher Sir, who commented: 'I thought he might say anything.

Could have been pro-Arab or pro-Jew. There was no consistent line. He was a man who followed whims, which meant he would blow up in one direction, so to speak.' Amelia Foster, director of the Roald Dahl Museum in Great Missenden, says: 'This is again an example of how Dahl refused to take anything seriously, even himself. He was very angry at the Israelis. He had a childish reaction to what was going on in Israel. Dahl wanted to provoke, as he always provoked at dinner.

His publisher was a Jew, his agent was a Jew. And he thought nothing but good things of them. He asked me to be his managing director, and I'm Jewish.'

In the 1986, Dahl was offered an appointment to (OBE), but turned it down. He reportedly wanted a so that his wife would be Lady Dahl. In 2012, Dahl was featured in the list of to mark the. A panel of seven academics, journalists and historians named Dahl among the group of people in the UK 'whose actions during the reign of Elizabeth II have had a significant impact on lives in these islands and given the age its character'. In September 2016, his daughter Lucy received the BBC's in his honour, the first time it has ever been awarded posthumously. Roald Dahl's story 'The Devious Bachelor' was illustrated by Frederick Siebel when it was published in (September 1953).Dahl's first published work, inspired by a meeting with, was 'A Piece of Cake', on 1 August 1942.

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The story, about his wartime adventures, was bought by The Saturday Evening Post for US$1,000 (a substantial sum in 1942) and published under the title 'Shot Down Over Libya'.His first children's book was, published in 1943, about mischievous little creatures that were part of Royal Air Force folklore. The RAF pilots blamed the for all the problems with the aircraft. While at the British Embassy in Washington, Dahl sent a copy to the who read it to her grandchildren, and the book was commissioned by for a film that was never made. Dahl went on to create some of the best-loved children's stories of the 20th century, such as, and.Dahl also had a successful parallel career as the writer of macabre adult short stories, which often blended humour and innocence with surprising plot twists.

The presented Dahl with three for his work, and many were originally written for American magazines such as ('The Collector's Item' was Collier's Star Story of the week for 4 September 1948),. Works such as subsequently collected Dahl's stories into anthologies, and gained significant popularity. Dahl wrote more than 60 short stories; they have appeared in numerous collections, some only being published in book form after his death (see ). His three Edgar Awards were given for: in 1954, the collection Someone Like You; in 1959, the story '; and in 1980, the episode of based on '.

Roald Dahl Movies

Roald Dahl's in the garden of his house, 'Gipsy Cottage', in Great Missenden, where he wrote in 1975.One of his more famous adult stories, 'The Smoker', also known as ', was filmed twice as both 1960 and 1985 episodes of, and also adapted into 's segment of the 1995 film. This oft-anthologised classic concerns a man in Jamaica who wagers with visitors in an attempt to claim the fingers from their hands. The 1960 Hitchcock version stars. Were used in the Hitchcock series. Dahl was credited with teleplay for two episodes, and four of his episodes were directed by Hitchcock himself, an example of which was the acclaimed ' in 1958.Dahl acquired a traditional in the 1960s, and the family used it as a playhouse for his children at home in, Buckinghamshire. He later used the vardo as a writing room, where he wrote in 1975. Dahl incorporated a Gypsy wagon into the main plot of the book, where the young English boy, Danny, and his father, William (played by in the film adaptation) live in a vardo.

Many other scenes and characters from Great Missenden are reflected in his work. For example, the village library was the inspiration for Mrs Phelps' library in Matilda, where the title character devours classic literature by the age of four.His short story collection Tales of the Unexpected was adapted to a successful, beginning with Man From the South. When the stock of Dahl's own original stories was exhausted, the series continued by adapting stories by authors that were written in Dahl's style, including the writers and.Some of his short stories are supposed to be extracts from the diary of his (fictional) Uncle Oswald, a rich gentleman whose sexual exploits form the subject of these stories. In his novel, the uncle engages a temptress to seduce 20th century geniuses and royalty with a love potion secretly added to chocolate truffles made by Dahl's favourite chocolate shop, of Piccadilly, London., written with his wife Felicity and published posthumously in 1991, was a mixture of recipes, family reminiscences and Dahl's musings on favourite subjects such as chocolate, onions and claret.The last book published in his lifetime, released in January 1990, marked a change in style for the author. Unlike other Dahl works (which often feature tyrannical adults and heroic/magical children), it is the story of an old, lonely man trying to make a connection with a woman he has loved from afar. In 1994, the English language recording of the book was provided by member.

In 2015 it was adapted by screenwriter into an acclaimed BBC comedy television film, featuring and as the couple. Children's fiction. 'He Dahl was mischievous. A grown-up being mischievous. He addresses you, a child, as somebody who knows about the world. He was a grown-up – and he was bigger than most – who is on your side.

That must have something to do with it.' —Illustrator on the lasting appeal of Dahl's children's books.Dahl's children's works are usually told from the point of view of a child. They typically involve adult who hate and mistreat children, and feature at least one 'good' adult to counteract the villain(s).

These stock characters are possibly a reference to the abuse that Dahl stated that he experienced in the he attended. Dahl's books see the triumph of the child; children's book critic Amanda Craig said, 'He was unequivocal that it is the good, young and kind who triumph over the old, greedy and the wicked.' Anna Leskiewicz in writes, “It’s often suggested that Dahl’s lasting appeal is a result of his exceptional talent for wriggling his way into children’s fantasies and fears, and laying them out on the page with anarchic delight. Adult villains are drawn in terrifying detail, before they are exposed as liars and hypocrites, and brought tumbling down with retributive justice, either by a sudden magic or the superior acuity of the children they mistreat.“While his whimsical fantasy stories feature an underlying warm sentiment, they are often juxtaposed with grotesque, and sometimes harshly violent scenarios., and are examples of this formula. Follows it in a more analogous way with the good giant (the BFG or 'Big Friendly Giant') representing the 'good adult' archetype and the other giants being the 'bad adults'. This formula is also somewhat evident in Dahl's film script for. Class-conscious themes also surface in works such as and where the unpleasant wealthy neighbours are outwitted.Dahl also features characters who are very fat, usually children.

Augustus Gloop, Bruce Bogtrotter and Bruno Jenkins are a few of these characters, although an enormous woman named Aunt Sponge features in and the nasty farmer Boggis in Fantastic Mr Fox is an enormously fat character. All of these characters (with the possible exception of Bruce Bogtrotter) are either villains or simply unpleasant gluttons. They are usually punished for this: Augustus Gloop drinks from 's chocolate river, disregarding the adults who tell him not to, and falls in, getting sucked up a pipe and nearly being turned into fudge. In Matilda, Bruce Bogtrotter steals cake from the evil headmistress, and is forced to eat a gigantic chocolate cake in front of the school. In, Bruno Jenkins is lured by the witches (whose leader is the ) into their convention with the promise of chocolate, before they turn him into a mouse. Aunt Sponge is flattened by a giant peach.

When Dahl was a boy his mother used to tell him and his sisters tales about trolls and other mythical Norwegian creatures and some of his children's books contain references or elements inspired by these stories, such as the giants in, the fox family in Fantastic Mr Fox and the trolls in.Receiving the 1983, Dahl encouraged his children and his readers to let their imagination run free. His daughter Lucy stated 'his spirit was so large and so big he taught us to believe in magic.' Those who don't believe in magic will never find it. — Roald Dahl, The MinpinsDahl was also famous for his inventive, playful use of language, which was a key element to his writing. He would invent new words by scribbling down his words before swapping letters around and adopting. The lexicographer Dr Susan Rennie stated that Dahl built his new words on familiar sounds, adding:He didn't always explain what his words meant, but children can work them out because they often sound like a word they know, and he loved using. For example, you know that something lickswishy and delumptious is good to eat, whereas something uckyslush or rotsome is not definitely not!

He also used sounds that children love to say, like squishous and squizzle, or fizzlecrump and fizzwiggler.In 2016, marking the centenary of Dahl's birth, Rennie compiled The Oxford Roald Dahl Dictionary which includes many of his invented words and their meaning. Rennie commented that some of Dahl's words have already escaped his world, for example, Scrumdiddlyumptious: 'Food that is utterly delicious'. In his poetry, Dahl gives a humorous re-interpretation of well-known nursery rhymes and, providing surprise endings in place of the traditional happily-ever-after. Dahl's collection of poems is recorded in form, and narrated by actor. ScreenplaysFor a brief period in the 1960s, Dahl wrote screenplays. Two, the film and, were adaptations of novels.

Dahl also began adapting his own novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which was completed and rewritten by after Dahl failed to meet deadlines, and produced as the film (1971). Dahl later disowned the film, saying he was 'disappointed' because 'he thought it placed too much emphasis on Willy Wonka and not enough on Charlie'. He was also 'infuriated' by the deviations in the plot devised by David Seltzer in his draft of the screenplay. This resulted in his refusal for any more versions of the book to be made in his lifetime, as well as an adaptation for the sequel.

Interior of 's writing shed. Dahl made a replica of it in his own garden in Great Missenden where he wrote many of his storiesA major part of Dahl's literary influences stemmed from his childhood. In his younger days, he was an avid reader, especially awed by fantastic tales of heroism and triumph.

Amongst his favourite authors were, and, and their works made a lasting mark on his life and writing. Joe Sommerlad in writes, “Dahl’s novels are often dark affairs, filled with cruelty, bereavement and adults prone to gluttony and sadism.

The author clearly felt compelled to warn his young readers about the evils of the world, taking the lesson from earlier fairy tales that they could stand hard truths and would be the stronger for hearing them.”Dahl was also influenced by ’s. The “Drink Me” episode in Alice inspired a scene in Dahl's George's Marvellous Medicine where a tyrannical grandmother drinks a potion and is blown up to the size of a farmhouse. Finding too many distractions in his house, Dahl remembered the poet had found a peaceful shed to write in close to home. Dahl travelled to visit Thomas's hut in Carmarthenshire, Wales in the 1950s and, after taking a look inside, decided to make a replica of it to write in.Dahl liked ghost stories, and claimed that Trolls by was one of the finest ghost stories ever written. While he was still a youngster, his mother, Sofie Dahl, would relate traditional Norwegian myths and legends from her native homeland to Dahl and his sisters. Dahl always maintained that his mother and her stories had a strong influence on his writing.

In one interview, he mentioned: 'She was a great teller of tales. Her memory was prodigious and nothing that ever happened to her in her life was forgotten.' When Dahl started writing and publishing his famous books for children, he created a grandmother character in and later stated that she was based directly on his own mother as a tribute. TelevisionIn 1961, Dahl hosted and wrote for a and television called, which preceded the series on the network for 14 episodes from March to July. One of the last dramatic network shows shot in New York City, the entire series is available for viewing at in New York City and Los Angeles. He also wrote for the satirical comedy programme, which was hosted by.The British television series, originally aired on between 1979 and 1988. The series was released to tie in with Dahl's, which had introduced readers to many motifs that were common in his writing.

The series was an anthology of different tales, initially based on Dahl's short stories. The stories were sometimes sinister, sometimes wryly comedic and usually had a twist ending.

Dahl introduced on camera all the episodes of the first two series, which bore the full title Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected. Death and legacy. Dahl's gravestone, BuckinghamshireRoald Dahl died on 23 November 1990, at the age of 74 of a rare cancer of the blood, in, and was buried in the cemetery at the, Buckinghamshire, England.

According to his granddaughter, the family gave him a 'sort of '. He was buried with his, some very good, chocolates, and a. Today, children continue to leave toys and flowers by his grave. In November 1996, the was opened at the in nearby. The main-belt asteroid, discovered by Czech astronomer, was named in his memory in 1996. Plaque commemorating Roald DahlIn 2002, one of 's modern landmarks, the Oval Basin plaza, was renamed.

Plass is Norwegian for 'place' or 'square', alluding to the writer's Norwegian roots. There have also been calls from the public for a permanent statue of him to be erected in. In 2016, the city celebrated the centenary of Dahl's birth in. Welsh Arts organisations, including, and, came together for a series of events, titled Roald Dahl 100, including a Cardiff-wide City of the Unexpected, which marked his legacy.Dahl's charitable commitments in the fields of, and during his life have been continued by his widow since his death, through Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity, formerly known as the Roald Dahl Foundation. The charity provides care and support to seriously ill children and young people throughout the UK. In June 2005, the in the author's home village was officially opened by, wife of UK Prime Minister, to celebrate the work of Roald Dahl and advance his work in literacy education.

Over 50,000 visitors from abroad, mainly from Australia, Japan, the United States and Germany, travel to the village museum every year. Has been shown in the since November 2011, and on since April 2013In 2008, the UK charity and inaugurated The Roald Dahl Funny Prize, an annual award to authors of humorous children's fiction. On 14 September 2009 (the day after what would have been Dahl's 93rd birthday) the first in his honour was unveiled in Llandaff. Rather than commemorating his place of birth, however, the plaque was erected on the wall of the former sweet shop (and site of 'The Great Mouse Plot of 1924') that features in the first part of his autobiography. It was unveiled by his widow and son Theo. In 2018, the town described by Dahl as a 'seedy seaside resort', unveiled a blue plaque dedicated to him, on the site of the since-demolished boarding school Dahl attended, St Peter's. The anniversary of Dahl's birthday on 13 September is celebrated as 'Roald Dahl Day' in Africa, the United Kingdom and Latin America.In honour of Dahl, the issued a set of four stamps in 2010 featuring 's original illustrations for four of the children's books written by Dahl during his long career;,.

A set of six stamps was issued by in 2012, featuring Blake's illustrations for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Twits, Matilda,. Dahl's influence has extended beyond literary figures. For instance film director recalled from childhood 'the second layer after of connecting to a writer who gets the idea of the modern fable – and the mixture of light and darkness, and not speaking down to kids, and the kind of politically incorrect humour that kids get.

I've always like that, and it's shaped everything I've felt that I've done.' Read The BFG to his children when they were young, stating the book celebrates the fact that it's OK to be different as well as to have an active imagination: 'It's very important that we preserve the tradition of allowing young children to run free with their imaginations and magic and imagination are the same thing.' Actress named Fantastic Mr Fox one of the five books that made a difference to her.Dahl has an incredibly distinctive style: his, unpredictable plots, musical prose and are impossible to imitate. And yet his stories have proved astonishingly malleable. Often adapted by equally idiosyncratic writers and directors, when translated onto stage and screen, his works seamlessly take on the impression of their new maker. Like in many of his stories, Dahl offers a narrative where troublemaking is rewarded, and games and tricks are more successful than following rules.

Perhaps this, more than anything, is the reason why Dahl’s stories excite the imagination of so many adults and children, and why so many storytellers across stage and screen can’t resist remaking his tales in their own individual style. Right across his body of work, playfulness and inventiveness are always prized over boring qualities like obedience and deference.

In Dahl's world, creative disruption is presented in such an appealing, delicious light, that you can't help but join in the fun. 'Arguably the Shakespeare of, from Fantastic Mr Fox to Matilda and The BFG, filmmakers and animators are still drawing from the enormous vat of material he created.' —'Britain's top ten children's literature superstars'., 2012.Regarded as 'one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20th century', Dahl was named by The Times one of the 50 greatest British writers since 1945. He ranks amongst the with sales estimated at over 250 million, and his books have been published in almost 60 languages. In 2003 four books by Dahl, led by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at number 35, ranked among the Top 100 in, a survey of the British public by the to determine the 'nation's best-loved novel' of all time. In surveys of UK teachers, parents and students, Dahl is frequently ranked the best children's writer. In a 2006 list for the, Harry Potter creator named Charlie and the Chocolate Factory one of her top ten books every child should read.

In 2012, Matilda was ranked number 30 among all-time best children's novels in a survey published by, a monthly with primarily US audience. The Top 100 included four books by Dahl, more than any other writer: Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Witches, and The BFG. US magazine named three Dahl books in its list of the 100 Best Young-Adult Books of All Time, more than any other author.In 2012, Dahl was among the selected by artist Sir to appear in a new version of his most famous artwork – the Beatles' album cover – to celebrate the British cultural figures of his life he most admires. In a 2017 UK poll of the greatest authors, songwriters, artists and photographers, Dahl was named the greatest storyteller of all time, ranking ahead of, Rowling and Spielberg.

In 2017, the airline announced Dahl's image would appear on the tail fin one of their aircraft. He is one of the company's six 'British tail fin heroes', joining Queen frontman, England World Cup winner, novelist, pioneering pilot and aviation entrepreneur. Filmography Writing roles YearTitleRoleNotes1950Story1 episode-617 episodes19611 episode19621964Feature film1965-673 episodes1967ScreenplayFeature film1968Writer1 episodeScreenplayFeature film10 episodes1971Feature filmStory/screenplay1979-88Writer/story26 episodes1985Story1 episode1989TV movieWriter1 episodeStoryTV moviePresenting roles YearTitleRoleNotes1961Host5 episodes1965Narrator1 episodeNon-presenting appearances YearTitleRoleNotes1969HimselfAudience member19781 episode1 episode1979-8532 episodes19891 episodePublications.