Encyclopaedia

DAHL, Roald (1916–90) Author

Born and brought up in Cardiff, Dahl was the son of Norwegian parents, his father being a ships’ chandler in Cardiff. He was the author of many hugely popular books for children, such as James and the Giant Peach (1961) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964), which subsequently became a film. The element of cruelty and the grotesque in his books that offends certain adults is, often, precisely that which appeals to young readers. He described his childhood in his book Boy (1984).