B I O G R A P H Y1910’s:
Roald Dahl was born on the 13th September 1916 in Llandaff, Wales, to Norwegian parents Harold Dahl and Sofie Magdalene Hesselberg. At the time of his birth, Roald had two siblings, Astri, Alfhild, and two half siblings from his fathers previous marriage, Ellen and Louis. Following the birth of his younger sister Else, the Dahl family moves to Ty Mynydd, a Victorian farmhouse in Wales. Roald remembered Ty Mynydd as "a mighty house with turrets on its roof and with majestic lawns and terraces all around it". Looking into the future, Roald is to write a wonderful story titled "Boy: Tales of Childhood" which is a funny, insightful and at times grotesque glimpse of the early life of Roald Dahl. 1920’s: In 1920, Roalds father and sister die of pneumonia and an infection from a burst appendix. Roald later recalls this time in his life in ‘Boy’ saying that it “left him literally speechless for days afterwards. He was so overwhelmed with grief… he did not much care whether he lived or died”. After this tragic event, Roald and his family moved from Ty Mynydd and returned to Llandaff a live in a smaller home called Cumberland Lodge. From September 1923-1925, Roald attends Llandaff Cathedral School. It is here that Roald and his friends stage “the great and daring Mouse Plot”. Roald later tells the story in detail in his 1984 memoir Boy. In 1925, Roald begins his schooling at St Peter’s, Weston-super-Mare boarding school. He describes boarding school as “the first great adventure of my life”. He remained at St Peters for four years, leaving in 1929 aged 13. It was in 1929 that Roald moves to a famous British Public School named Repton. He documents some of the more memorable events in Boy including being invited to trial chocolate bars, a memory that stayed with him throughout his life and partially inspired Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Roald left school in 1934 at the age of 18. 1930’s: Now out of school, Roald begins working for the Shell Oil Company. He remains at home wit h his family and commutes to work as a clerk in the company’s London offices. Throughout this time, Roald begins dabbling in writing spoofs and sketches. In 1938, Roald is sent to Shell’s branch office in East Africa. He writes about his experiences in Arica in his later memoir Going Solo. After the outbreak of WWII, Roald Dahl leaves Shell and enlists in the Royal Air Force- he is only 23 years old. 1940’s: In 1941, Roald returns home to Great Britain from war to live with his mother in Buckinghamshire- this would be the place that Roald would go on to make his permanent home, and where he would write many of his famous children’s books. Now aged 26, Roald is posted to Washington, DC as an assistant air attaché. It is here that he meets British man C.S Forester who encourages him to write about him time in the desert. In 1942, his first paid piece of writing is published anonymously as Shot Down Over Libya, which is later titled A Piece of Cake. Following this, Roald begins work on The Gremlins, a story that draws on the RAF folklore. The Gremlins later comes to the attention of Walt Disney and talks about turning the story into a movie begin. After The Gremlins is released as a book, the US Presidents wife Eleanor Roosevelt reads the story to her grandchildren and Roald is invited to the White House. 1950’s: In 1951, Roald Dahl meets his future wife, American actress Patricia Neal. He later marries her on the 2nd July 1953 at the age of 37, and Patricia the age of 27. In 1954 Roald and Patricia buy Little Whitefield Cottage in Great Missenden, where they would live for the duration of their married life, and where Roald wrote many of his famous stories. Great Missenden is now the home to The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre. It is on the 20th April 1955 that their first child- a daughter Olivia is born in New York. Later, their brood would grow, and in April 1957, they welcomed a second daughter Chantal born in Oxford, UK. 1960’s: Early in 1960, the couple third child and only son Theo was born. 1961 saw Roald publish his first book for children James and the Giant Peach, and he began working on the story that was later published as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. 1964 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is published and the couple’s fourth child Ophelia is born. 1965 sees the couples fifth child and fourth daughter Lucy born. 1970’s: Fantastic Mr. Fox is published in 1970 and in 1971, the first feature film version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is released as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Roald releases The Enormous Crocodile, which is aimed at younger readers. This book would mark the beginning of Roald’s partnership with illustrator Quentin Blake. 1980’s: In 1981 Roald publishes The Twits, and George’s Marvellous Medicine. This year also sees the separation of Roald and Patricia after 28 years of marriage. The early 80’s also see Roald Dahl write and have published two new works; Revolting Rhymes and The BFG. Roald has said that The BFG was one of his favourite stories as he had more than once “climbed up a ladder outside his daughter’ bedroom and pretended to blow dreams in through the window just like the BFG.” In 1983, Roald and Patricia divorce after 30 years of marriage, and later that year Roald re-marries Felicity Crosland. Roald last long childrens book- Matilda is published in 1988 after Roald had great difficulty perfecting the main characters persona. 1990’s: On the 23rd of November 1990 at the age of 74, Roald Dahl passes away. He is buried in the parish church in Great Missenden. A beautiful poem is carved into the stone slabs around the base of the bench and is taken form The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me. Roald leaves behind his widow Felicity Dahl who goes on to set up the Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity which supports children and young people with serious, rare blood or brain conditions and literacy problems. 2000’s: Tim Burton’s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory starring Johnny Depp is released. Roald Dahl Day is established on the 13th September 2006- the day that would have been his 90th birthday. Celebrations occur across the world and it goes on to be an annual event with September becoming the focus of parties, book reading and school celebrations. Money raised contributes to Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity. A musical adaptation of Matilda arrives on stages and receives huge success! It goes on to appear at West End in London and on Broadway in New York City. 2016 sees the year of 100 years since Roald Dahl’s birth with celebrations of the number one storyteller happening across the world! |