Roald Dahl Day 2023: Date, History, Facts about Roald Dahl

Born in Wales in 1916, Roald Dahl led a full and fascinating existence before becoming one of the 20th century's most famous and best-selling authors.

Roald Dahl, a former RAF fighter pilot, intelligence officer, and diplomat, is best known as one of the most beloved storytellers in the world. In works such as “Matilda,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” and “James and the Giant Peach,” Roald Dahl drew readers into his vividly detailed worlds, eccentric characters, and heartwarming stories. His children’s books, which feature villainous adults, heroic child protagonists, and fantastical settings, have been adapted into scores of plays and films.

Dahl wrote adult fiction, short stories, and screenplays for blockbuster films such as “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.”

The background of Roald Dahl Day

Born in Wales in 1916, Roald Dahl led a full and fascinating existence before becoming one of the 20th century’s most famous and best-selling authors.

Dahl, who was named after the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, displayed an adventurous personality at a young age. After completing education, he worked for Shell Petroleum in what is now Tanzania. In 1939, as World War II loomed, he joined the Royal Air Force as an aircraftman. After barely surviving a crash landing in the desert and the Battle of Athens, Dahl was appointed assistant air attache at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. During this time, he provided Winston Churchill with intelligence, assisting to improve relations between the British prime minister and American president.

Much of Dahl’s early writing was inspired by his military service. His first published story recounts his crash landing, while his first children’s novel, “The Gremlins,” features mischievous creatures that sabotage RAF aircraft. Many of his settings and scenarios were based on actual aspects of Great Missenden, the Buckinghamshire village where he and his family resided. He went on to write over 30 novels, creating such iconic characters as Willy Wonka, Matilda, and Mr. Fox, as well as dozens of screenplays for television programmes such as “Alfred Hitchcock Presents.”

His writing style is renowned for his often-unique vocabulary, humorous poems, and ability to write from a child’s perspective. Even though his books are filled with dark themes and macabre settings, good and generous children ultimately triumph over malevolent and greedy adults.

5 Interesting Roald Dahl Facts

Dahl, who dubbed his invented language Gobblefunk, created hundreds of new words (“frobscottle”) and names (Oompa-Loompas) to enrich his vividly original worlds.

When he was a youth, Cadbury’s chocolate company would taste-test their treats at Dahl’s school. Young Dahl desired to create a chocolate recipe that would impress Mr. Cadbury.

During his tenure as a British intelligence officer during World War II, Dahl collaborated with Ian Fleming. Dahl adapted Fleming’s “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” for the big screen. Fleming subsequently penned the James Bond novels and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.”

Although best known as a children’s author, Dahl also wrote numerous adult short stories. His work with a R rating was published in numerous magazines, including Playboy.

After his four-month-old son was struck by a taxi and diagnosed with hydrocephalus, Dahl devoted his time and energy to the development of a treatment device.