Roald Dahl

Legacy: the Artists Behind the Legends

Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, poet, screenwriter, and let’s not forget, badass fighter pilot, ranking amongst some of the world’s best-selling fiction authors. His book sales for adults and children alike have sold over 250 million copies worldwide, published in nearly 60 languages, and Dahl has often been regarded as “one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20th century”. Dahl’s achievements within the literary community have earned him extensive renown, but the origins behind his stories are what give his writing their unexpected endings, their somewhat unsentimental and macabre comic tone, and of course, the villainous adults preying on the good graces of innocent children. At a young age he experienced great loss and tolerated serious abuses, evolving into a man who did not particularly respect authority, one who found light in the darkness, and refused to take many aspects of life seriously, including himself. Mr. Dahl is a fascinating character, a man who witnessed the horrors of WWII and acted as a spy for the British government, a family man, who was married for thirty years and raised five children, and of course, the writer who produced some of my favorite works of fiction…ever. Just who was the man behind novels like James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, and Charlie the Chocolate Factory? Ladies and Gentlemen, let’s get ready to meet Mr. Roald Dahl.