Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl, the world famous author, is loved by many for his amazing children’s stories which include James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Twits, and Danny Champion of the World, died in 1990 from a rare blood disorder. Many of his books have been converted to film and TV with some of the world’s greatest actors taking their turn to portray his ingenious characters, such as Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka and Anjelica Huston in The Witches. Although born in Wales his heritage was Norwegian and in fact Roald was named after one of the greatest Norwegian explorers, Roald Amundsen who famously robbed Robert Scott of his Polar prize.
His peculiar teaming of childhood whimsy with mild childish horror is one of his most striking styles and one which has made many children tremble with delicious fear or thrill with cathartic daring. Who can forget the ‘Magic Finger’ where the power of wishing makes horrible things happen to horrible people. The genus of these elements of his stories can be seen early in his life where his delight in the practical joke is evident. Consider the ‘Great Mouse Plot of 1924′ where the local confectioner, considered by Roald to be a mean old lady, was given her just desserts with a dead mouse in one of her sweet jars. His love life was the stuff of fiction, falling first in love with a nurse whilst blinded after a flying accident during the Second World War.
His love for her did not survive the regaining of his sight and he eventually married an American actress, Patricia Neal, a marriage which lasted thirty years and produced five children. Roald’s strength showed itself in his rehabilitation of Patricia when she suffered brain haemorrhages during her fifth pregnancy, helping her to learn how to walk and talk again. Their marriage floundered finally in 1983 and he married his second wife, Felicity D’Abreu Crosland, in the same year. Roald was a prolific writer, writing not only wrote for children but also producing adult fiction, plays, film scripts and television. A fabulous museum dedicated specifically to him, is found in his final home town of Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire in the UK.
