Roald Dahl

About Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl was born in Llandaff, South Wales on September 13th 1916. His parents were Norwegian, and were called Harald and Sofie. He went to Repton school, in Derbyshire, and left school in 1933.

His first job was in Africa, with the Shell Oil Company. In the second world war he fought as a fighter pilot, and was badly injured when his plane crashed. After the war he worked in America, and soon started writing stories.

His very first children’s book, written in 1943 was called The Gremlins. Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of the President of the USA liked it so much he was invited to the White House and became friends with the President, Franklin D Roosevelt. From 1945 until his death, he lived at Gipsy House, in Buckinghamshire, where he wrote his famous children’s books. He died in hospital in Oxford, on November 23rd, 1990.

Interviews

• Interview with Roald Dahl

Awards

Roald Dahl has won many awards for his books including the Federation of Children’s Book Groups Award, 1983; Whitbread Award, 1983; and World Fantasy Convention Award, 1983. He also won the Smarties Award in 1990 for Esio Trot.