Roald Dahl Biography

Roald Dahl (1916-1990) was a British novelist, short-story writer, and children's author. He was born in Wales and grew up in England, where he attended boarding school and later worked for the Shell oil company before enlisting in the Royal Air Force during World War II.

Dahl began his literary career as a writer of adult fiction, and his early work was known for its dark and macabre themes. However, he is perhaps best known for his children's books, which include such classics as "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," "James and the Giant Peach," and "Matilda."

Dahl's children's books are known for their whimsical and imaginative storytelling, their vivid characters, and their unique blend of humor and darkness. His work has been adapted into numerous films, stage productions, and other media, and it continues to be beloved by generations of readers around the world.

In addition to his work as a writer, Dahl was also an accomplished screenwriter and television personality, and he was known for his wry wit and irreverent sense of humor. He was a lifelong advocate for children's literacy and education, and his legacy as a writer and cultural figure continues to inspire and entertain readers of all ages.

Early Life

Although his parents were Norwegian, he was born in Wales in 1916. Summer vacations were spent by the family on a small Norwegian island, swimming, fishing, and boating. When Roald's father died when he was four years old, his mother was left to plan the journey alone for herself and her six children.

He was frequently homesick at school. All of the letters home were regulated by the headmaster at St. Peter's Prep School, and he had to wear a hideous school uniform [braces, waistcoat, hat, and lots of buttons, all black] at Repton Public School after that. The headmaster and the older boys, known as prefects, frequently disciplined the younger lads. Roald lays much emphasis on describing the school-beatups in his book. You could get beaten for small mistakes like leaving a football sock on the floor, for burning the prefect's toast at teatime or for forgetting to change into house-shoes at six o'clock. The most terrible beatings, however, were given by the headmaster himself, who was also a clergyman. He was so cruel, that he made a pause after each beat to smoke his pipe and talk about sins and wrongdoing, while the boy had to remain kneeling. After ten beats, the victim was told to wash away the blood first, before putting on the trousers. By the way, this headmaster became later the Archbishop of Canterbury. Roald Dahl kept telling himself, that if this was one of God's chosen men, there was something going very wrong about the whole business.

After school, Roald Dahl didn't go to university, but applied for a job at the Shell company, because he was sure they would send him abroad. He was sent to East Africa, where he got the adventure he wanted: great heat, crocodiles, snakes and safaries. He lived in the jungle, learned to speak Swahili and suffered from malaria. When the second World War broke out, he went to Nairobi to join the Royal Air Force. He was a fighter pilot and shot down German planes and got shot down himself. After 6 months in hospital he flew again.

In 1942, he went to Washington as Assistant Air Attaché. There, he started writing short stories. In 1943, he published his first children's book "The Gremlins " with Walt Disney and in 1945 his first book of short stories appeared in the US. His marriage with the actress Patricia Neal was unhappy. None of their kids survived, his wife suffered a stroke. When she regained consciousness, she could hardly read, count and talk. But Roald managed to nurse her back to health, so that she could act again. Nevertheless, he got divorced in 1983 and married Felicity Crosland. He recieved several awards, such as the Edgar Allan Poe Award.

His collections of short stories have been translated into many languages and have been best-sellers all over the world. Among them are "Someone Like You ", "Sweet Mystery Of Life ", "Kiss Kiss " and "Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories ". He wrote TV series like "Tales of the Unexpected " and the novel "My Uncle Oswald ".

His books are mostly fantasy, and full of imagination. They are always a little cruel, but never without humour - a thrilling mixture of the grotesque and comic. A frequent motif is, that people are not, what they appear to be. Mary Maloney in "Lamb to the Slaughter ", for example, is not a friendly widow, but a clever murderess. In his stories, the background is perfectly worked out: details are very close to reality.

Roald Dahl didn't only write books for grown-ups, but also for children, such as "James and the Giant Peach ", "Fantastic Mr. Fox " and "The Gremlins ". About his children's stories he said once: "I make my points by exaggerating wildly. That's the only way to get through to children." Roald Dahl is perhaps the most popular and best-selling children's book author. However, these stories are so sarcastic and humorous, that also adults appreciate reading them.

Roald Dahl died in November 1990. The Times called him "one of the most widely read and influential writers of our generation"