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CELEBRATE ROALD DAHL DAY

Roald Dahl Day, in which we celebrate one of the most beloved and creative authors, is September 13, 2014.   

Roald Dahl was born in Wales on September 13th, 1916.  After he finished his schooling, he served in the Royal Air Force during World War II as an air craftman.  In March of 1942, after advancing through the ranks quickly, Dahl met with Major Harold Balfour, who was the Under-Secretary of State for Air, and was greatly impressed with Roald's intelligence and war record.  Balfour promoted Dahl as assistant air attaché at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C.  Hesitant at first, Dahl accepted the position and in April 14, 1942 he arrived in Montreal.  

It was there that he met with the novelist C.S. Forester, and it was Forester who was the first to publish a piece of Dahl's work:   A story originally titled "A Piece of Cake", about Dahl's flying experiences in the Royal Air Force.  The title was later changed to "One Shot Down Over Lybia", though Dahl had never been shot down during his time with the Air Force.

With the small amount of attention that "One Shot Down..." had gained him, Roald Dahl combined his love of the military and storytelling and published his first children's novel in 1943 titled "The Gremlins".  Dahl continued to delve into the world of writing and in the early 1960's, most of his popular works began to arise, including "James and the Giant Peach", "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", "The Fantastic Mr. Fox", and "Charlie and the Glass Elevator".  

The last decade of his life produced the novels "BFG" and "The Witches", both in 1983, and "Matilda" in 1988.

Many of his Dahl's works have been turned family-friendly films that have continued to be classics throughout the passing of generations.  Amongst those are "James and the Giant Peach", "Matilda", "Dirty Beasts" and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"  Rights to the book "The Gremlins" were purchased by Walt Disney, though the film was never developed. 

Roald Dahl passed away on November 23, 1990.  Even after his death, his witty characters, wonderous places and unique writing style continues to breath the love of literature into readers of all ages. 

Check out the links below for more information about Roald Dahl Day and ways that you can participate in this fantastical day of remembrance.  

Roald Dahl Offical Website  -- Roald Dahl Day Activities