Dahl, Roald (1916–1990)

British writer, of Norwegian ancestry. He is celebrated for short stories with a twist, such as Tales of the Unexpected (1979), and for his children's books, including James and the Giant Peach (1961), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964), The BFG (1982), and Matilda (1988). Many of his works have been successfully adapted for television or film. He also wrote the screenplay for the James Bond film You Only Live Twice (1967), and the script for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968).

The enormous popularity of his children's books can be attributed to his weird imagination, the success of his child characters in outwitting their elders, and his repulsive detail. The Collected Short Stories was published in 1991. His autobiography Going Solo (1986) recounted his experiences as a fighter pilot in the RAF. After surviving a crash landing he was posted to Washington, where he worked with British security.