Roald Dahl was born on this day in 1916. The 13th of September is now Roald Dahl Day every year.
Dahl wrote in a hut at the bottom of his garden. He built it after seeing Dylan Thomas’ writing shed. He described it as his nest and nobody else was allowed inside (he told his children and grandchildren there were wolves inside it to stop them entering!). It’s still exactly as it was before he died, with notebook pages scattered on the floor, and eccentric things like a huge ball made from foil sweet wrappers and his hip bone. Unfortunately the hut has started to fall apart, but there are plans to move it to the Roald Dahl Museum where they hope to ensure its magical atmosphere is kept. A fundraising campaign has already raised £250,000, but another £500,000 is needed to do the relocation and restoration work. Read more about the campaign…
Test your knowledge of Dahl’s wonderful children’s stories and see if others feel the same about your favourite characters.
