HOW YOU CAN CELEBRATE ROALD DAHL DAY
Reread your favorite book Has it been a while since you read your favorite Dahl novel? Dust it off and immerse yourself in one of his fantasy worlds — or find a new favorite you haven’t read before!
Watch your favorite movie adaptation Dahl’s books have been adapted into dozens of popular movies. Find your favorite adaptation of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “The Fantastic Mr. Fox,” “Matilda,” or other Dahl novels and have a movie night with the whole family.
Donate some books to your local library If you’re a Roald Dahl fan, help spread the love by donating a few of his books to your local library to make sure others have a chance to experience them
Roald Dahl was a former RAF fighter pilot, intelligence officer and diplomatis but he is best known as one of the world’s best-loved storytellers. In books like “Matilda”, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, and “James and the Giant Peach”, Dahl brought readers into his wildly original imagination with richly detailed worlds, zany characters, and touching storylines. His children’s books feature villainous adults, heroic child protagonists, and fanciful worlds, and have been adapted into dozens of plays and films.
Though best known for his children’s fantasy novels, Dahl also wrote adult fiction, short stories, and screenplays for hit films like “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.”
Roald Dahl was born in Wales in 1916 and led a full and fascinating life before becoming one of the best-known and best-selling authors of the 20th century. He is named after Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. Dahl exhibited an adventurous spirit from an early age. When he finished school, he worked for Shell Petroleum in present-day Tanzania, then became an aircraftman for the Royal Air Force in 1939, when World War II was right on the horizon. After barely surviving a desert crash, Dahl then received an appointment as assistant air attache at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. During this time, he supplied intelligence to Winston Churchill, helping to smooth the relationship between the British Prime Minister and American President Franklin Roosevelt.
Dahl’s military career inspired much of his early writing. His first published story recounts his crash landing, while his first children’s book, “The Gremlins,” features mischievous creatures that sabotage RAF aircraft. He continued to draw inspiration from his immediate surroundings, basing many of his settings and scenes on true aspects of the Buckinghamshire village where he and his family called home. He went on to write more than 30 novels, creating iconic characters including Willy Wonka, Matilda, and Mr. Fox, and dozens of screenplays for shows including “Alfred Hitchcock Presents.”
His writing style is known for its unique, often original vocabulary, humorous poems, and ability to write from a child’s perspective. His books, though full of dark undercurrents and macabre settings, ultimately show good and kind children triumphing over evil, greedy adults.
SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ROALD DAHL
Roald invented more than 500 new words and names
The Chocolate Factory was inspires by Cadbury
Roald would taste-test chocolates at his school
He dreamed of creating his own chocolate for Cadbury
Roald Dahl died on 23 November 1990, at the age of 74 of a rare cancer of the blood, myelodysplastic syndrome, in Oxford. According to his granddaughter, the family gave him a “sort of Viking funeral.
Dahl’s special dash of magic has transformed countless children into readers, and the recommended age for reading is ages 7-9.
Roald Dahl spent around four hours every day writing stories from his garden shed! He is said to have had a cosy old armchair and a specially designed writing board which would sit on his lap.
WHY WE LOVE ROALD DAHL DAY
It reminds us of some favorite stories
Roald Dahl created some of literature and film’s most iconic characters. Which of his books inspired you the most?It celebrates reading
More than a crucial life skill, reading can also take us to fantastic worlds and broaden our horizons. Take some time to read to yourself or to a child in your life today.
Roald Dahl Day events include live readings, movie screenings, themed museum events, and more. Check out your local libraries and educational institutions to find Roald Dahl Day events near you.