Roald Dahl (1916–1990) was a British author and scriptwriter, widely recognized as a highly popular children's author. He began his writing career with a children's story, 'The Gremlins', in 1943, intended for a Walt Disney film that was never produced. While this was his first published children's book, it wasn't originally conceived as such. Dahl also penned numerous short stories aimed at adults, which were published in periodicals and later collected into volumes, beginning in 1946. He drew inspiration for some of his stories from bedtime tales he created for his own children. His first novel specifically written for children was 'James and the Giant Peach' in 1961, followed by other well-known works like 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' and 'Matilda'.

Beyond children's literature, Dahl also worked as a scriptwriter, contributing to stage productions and television, including an episode of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents'. He co-wrote screenplays for films such as 'You Only Live Twice' and 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'. His writing extended to poetry for children, edited collections of ghost stories, and non-fiction, including autobiographies and a book detailing his daughter's death from measles. Dahl's works have achieved global success, translated into numerous languages and selling millions of copies, celebrated for their celebration of imagination and creativity.

Roald Dahl's literary output spanned both children's and adult markets. His initial foray into children's writing was 'The Gremlins' in 1943, a project for Walt Disney that ultimately did not materialize into a film. While this marked his first published book for young readers, it was not originally intended as such. Dahl's early writing career also included numerous short stories aimed at adults, which appeared in various publications before being gathered into collections starting in 1946. He later developed a practice of creating bedtime stories for his children, which served as a foundation for several of his celebrated narratives. His first novel intentionally crafted for a younger audience was 'James and the Giant Peach' (1961), paving the way for iconic works like 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' (1964) and 'Matilda' (1988). Dahl's writing is often characterized by its embrace of nonsense, imagination, and creativity, earning him the moniker 'The World’s No. 1 Story-teller'.

In addition to his prolific career in children's literature, Roald Dahl also made significant contributions to scriptwriting. His first credited script was for the stage play 'The Honeys,' which premiered on Broadway in 1955. He later transitioned to television, writing the script for 'Lamb to the Slaughter' for the 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' series. Dahl also co-authored screenplays for notable films, including 'You Only Live Twice' (1967) and 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' (1968). His creative endeavors extended to poetry collections for children, published from 1982 onwards, and he also edited a book of ghost stories in 1983. Dahl also ventured into non-fiction, producing three autobiographies, a cookbook, and a book concerning the tragic death of his daughter from measles encephalitis, highlighting a deeply personal aspect of his life and work.

“the most popular writer of children's books since Enid Blyton”

“The World’s No. 1 Story-teller”

“one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20th century”

“one of the most widely read and influential writers of our generation”