Roald Dahl (1916–1990) was a British author and scriptwriter,[1] and "the most popular writer of children's books since Enid Blyton", according to Philip Howard, the literary editor of The Times.

[4] Dahl continued to write short stories, although these were all aimed at the adult market.

[6][7] His first novel intentionally written for children, James and the Giant Peach, was published in 1961,[8] which was followed, along with others, by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964), Fantastic Mr Fox (1970), Danny, the Champion of the World (1975), The BFG (1982) and Matilda in 1988.

[12][13] As at 2019, Dahl's works have been translated into 63 languages and have sold more than 200 million books worldwide.

[18] On his death in 1990, Howard considered him "one of the most widely read and influential writers of our generation".