Roald Dahl
A Welsh-born former RAF pilot who wrote short stories for adults before turning to the children's books that made him famous.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Published in 1964, the story of Charlie Bucket and Willy Wonka's factory was followed in 1972 by Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator.19
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At a glance
- Born
- September 13, 1916, in Llandaff, Cardiff, Wales, to Norwegian parents35
- School
- Repton5
- Second World War
- RAF fighter pilot, seriously injured in a crash landing in Libya3
- Married
- The actress Patricia Neal, 1953 (divorced 1983); remarried in 1983105
- Home
- Gipsy House, Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire10
- Died
- November 23, 1990, in Oxford, aged 7435
- Major awards
- Whitbread Award, Children's Novel, 1983, for The Witches19
- World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement, 19837
Roald Dahl's Backstory
Early life
Roald Dahl was born on September 13, 1916, in Llandaff, near Cardiff in Wales, to Norwegian parents.35 His elder sister and then his father died when he was a small child, and the family moved to Kent.94 He was educated at Repton and then joined the Shell Oil Company, which sent him to Dar es Salaam in Tanganyika (now Tanzania) from 1937 to 1939.53
War and the first stories
When the Second World War began he joined the Royal Air Force and flew as a fighter pilot until he was seriously injured in a crash landing in Libya.3 In 1942 he was posted to the British embassy in Washington, where the novelist C. S. Forester encouraged him to write about the crash; the result appeared in the Saturday Evening Post.128 His first book, The Gremlins (1943), was written for Walt Disney and was not a success.3
Stories for adults
His collection Someone Like You (1953) was a bestseller, and in the same year he married the American actress Patricia Neal; they had five children.510 The family settled at Gipsy House in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, and his eldest daughter died of measles as a child.10
The children’s books
According to his publisher, the bedtime stories he made up for his children led him to write for children, starting with James and the Giant Peach (1961) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964).119 Later books included Fantastic Mr Fox (1970), The BFG (1982), The Witches (1983) and Matilda (1988).1 He and Neal divorced in 1983, and he remarried the same year.10
Antisemitism
Dahl made antisemitic remarks in interviews in 1983 and 1990; in 2020 his family and the Roald Dahl Story Company published an apology for “the lasting and understandable hurt” they caused.2021
Death and legacy
He died in Oxford on November 23, 1990, aged 74, and was buried at the parish church in Great Missenden.3510 Netflix bought the Roald Dahl Story Company, which manages the rights to his work, in 2021.2428 In February 2023 his British publisher, Puffin, faced criticism from authors and free-speech groups for hundreds of changes to his children’s books, and announced it would keep the original texts in print as “The Roald Dahl Classic Collection.”2223
Fun facts
- His first published work, "Shot Down Over Libya," appeared in the Saturday Evening Post in August 1942, after the novelist C. S. Forester asked him for notes on his crash.812
- The Gremlins was written for Walt Disney, whose planned film was never made.36
- He wrote in a hut in his garden at Gipsy House; the hut is now on display at the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre in Great Missenden.14
- In Washington he worked alongside the novelist Ian Fleming in British intelligence.13
Books
In order of first publication. Each series is kept together, in reading order, starting where its first book appeared. Novels, children's books, story collections, poetry and nonfiction from Wikipedia's Roald Dahl bibliography and the Roald Dahl Museum's list of published works, dated by first publication; compilations of earlier stories, screenplays and stage adaptations are left out.12
Bookshop.org (which supports independent bookstores) and Amazon links are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission on purchases, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. WorldCat links find the book in a library near you.
- 1943
- 1946
- 1948
- 1953Someone Like You
- 1960
- 1961
Charlie Bucket
- 1964
- 1972
- 1966
- 1970
- 1974
- 1975
- 1977
- 1978
- 1979
- 1980
- 1981George's Marvellous Medicine
- 1982
- 1982
- 1983
- 1983
- 1984
- 1985
- 1986
- 1986Two Fables
- 1988
- 1989
- 1989Rhyme Stew
- 1990
- 1991
- 1991
- 1991
- 1993My Year
- 1999
Latest news
Netflix announced that a series based on Dahl's short stories for adults was in production, directed by Runyararo Mapfumo and Ben Gregor.25
Giant, Mark Rosenblatt's play about a confrontation between Dahl and his publishers over an article accused of antisemitism, opened on Broadway with John Lithgow as Dahl; Lithgow won the 2026 Tony Award for best leading actor in a play.3233
Adaptations and other media
Film
- The Witches2020Based on The Witches
A film directed by Robert Zemeckis.31
- The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar2023Based on The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More
A live-action short film by Wes Anderson, with Benedict Cumberbatch, released on Netflix on September 27, 2023; it won the Academy Award for best live-action short film.2930
- The Twits2025Based on The Twits
An animated Netflix film written and directed by Phil Johnston, released October 17, 2025, with songs by David Byrne and Hayley Williams.242627
Myth and record
Timeline
Born in Llandaff, Cardiff.3
His father dies; the family moves to Kent.4
Works for Shell in Dar es Salaam, Tanganyika.3
Posted to the British embassy in Washington; publishes his first story, about his crash.128
The Gremlins, his first book.3
Someone Like You is published; marries Patricia Neal.5
James and the Giant Peach, his first children's novel.1
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is published.1
Matilda is published.1
Netflix buys the Roald Dahl Story Company.24
Puffin's edits to his children's books prompt a backlash and a "Classic Collection" of the original texts.2223
Netflix announces a series based on his stories for adults.25
What came after
Netflix's series based on his stories for adults is in production, and an animated series based on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has been announced.2524
Sources
- Roald Dahl bibliography Wikipedia (2024 snapshot)Reference
- Roald Dahl's published works Roald Dahl Museum and Story CentrePrimary record
- Roald Dahl Encyclopaedia BritannicaReference
- Roald Dahl Britannica KidsReference
- Roald Dahl Biography.comReference
- Dahl, Roald Encyclopedia.comReference
- Roald Dahl Biography SparkNotesReference
- Roald Dahl New World EncyclopediaReference
- Roald Dahl Bookology MagazineWebsite
- Roald Dahl Chilterns National LandscapeWebsite
- A short history of Roald Dahl Penguin Books AustraliaPrimary record
- When Roald Dahl Spied on the United States History.comNews
- The Story Of Roald Dahl Culture TripWebsite
- Gipsy House WikipediaReference
- gremlin A.Word.A.Day (Wordsmith.org)Reference
- Gremlin WikipediaReference
- Roald Dahl trivia IMDbWebsite
- Whitbread Children's Book Award Christchurch City LibrariesReference
- Costa Book Awards Encyclopaedia BritannicaReference
- Roald Dahl family sorry for author's anti-Semitic remarks RNZNews
- Roald Dahl's family apologises for his antisemitism The Jewish ChronicleNews
- Roald Dahl's publisher responds to backlash by keeping 'classic' texts in print NPRNews
- Penguin to publish original Roald Dahl books after backlash Khaleej Times (AP)News
- The Twits: What to Know About the Animated Roald Dahl Film Netflix TudumPrimary record
- Get Marooned with a Deliciously Dark Series of Roald Dahl's Very Grownup Stories Netflix TudumPrimary record
- The Twits review The A.V. ClubNews
- Netflix Reveals 'The Twits' Release Date, Song List, Additional Cast Animation World NetworkNews
- Netflix's The Twits adaptation is part of its much bigger plans for Roald Dahl The NightlyNews
- Wes Anderson's Roald Dahl Netflix short films GamesRadar+News
- 'The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More' Sets Re-Release on Netflix What's on NetflixNews
- THE WITCHES (2020) review Get Your Comic OnNews
- John Lithgow Sets Broadway Return in Olivier-Winning Drama Giant TheaterManiaNews
- Giant (Broadway, 2026) Internet Broadway DatabaseReference