Roald Dahl Day celebrates 100 years since author's birth

Roald Dahl was born 100 years ago today. Photo -RoaldDahl.com/Quentin BlakeRoald Dahl was born 100 years ago today. Photo -RoaldDahl.com/Quentin Blake
Roald Dahl was born 100 years ago today. Photo -RoaldDahl.com/Quentin Blake
Exactly 100 years ago today (13 September) Roald Dahl was born and children and adults around the world will be coming together to celebrate the life and works of the much-loved author.

As part of the annual Roald Dahl Day fans will be dressing up as their favourite characters - from Matilda to James Henry Trotter and Willy Wonka, hosting Dahl-themed parties and taking part in live events.

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More than 5,000 schools are expected to take part in a free webcast this year which will feature a performance from the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda the Musical, a draw-along event with Quentin Blake and the chance to invent wondercrump words with the Word Wizards from the Oxford Roald Dahl Dictionary.

There are also events at museums, libraries and even restaurants celebrating Dahl’s way with words and his inventiveness through quizzes, cookery classes and outdoor adventures.

Dahl is most famous for his children’s stories, from the repulsive Twits to the fantastical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the frankly terrifying Witches and the whimsical James and the Giant Peach.

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However, the former RAF fighter pilot also wrote for adults, creating the popular Tales of the Unexpected series as well as turning out a series of raunchy tales about his fictional Uncle Oswald and creating screenplays - perhaps most famously for the James Bond You Only Live Twice and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Full details of the celebrations throughout September can be found on the Roald Dahl website but to mark the anniversary of his birth why not start by finding out which Dahl character you are?

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