Roald Dahl was one of the most celebrated British writers of the twentieth century, renowned for his vivid imagination, dark humour and singular storytelling voice.
Born in Llandaff, Wales to Norwegian parents, Dahl’s early life was marked by adventure and adversity - experiences that would later colour his fiction with both mischief and menace.
Following service as a fighter pilot in the Second World War, Dahl turned to writing, initially producing stories for adults before achieving enduring fame with his children’s books. Titles such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, and James and the Giant Peach are now firmly embedded in the literary canon, each pairing fantastical plots with a subversive wit that continues to enchant readers of all ages.
Dahl’s collaborations with illustrator Quentin Blake further defined his visual legacy, while his work in screenwriting including the script for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the James Bond film You Only Live Twice demonstrated a flair for narrative across mediums.
Unapologetically original and sometimes controversial, Dahl’s body of work reflects a lifelong fascination with the strange and the unexpected. Today, his books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide and remain a touchstone in the history of modern children’s literature.
