Iām not usually one for remembering dates but today has a little place in my heart ā itās September 13th and that means itās author Roald Dahlās birthday. He would have been 101 years old today!Ā
When I first fell in love with literatureā¦
Roald Dahl was one of my favourite authors growing up ā it was his books that made me fall in love with reading. Back in nursery and primary school I just loved The Enormous CrocodileĀ with its dark humour and its beautiful illustrations by Quentin Blake (and of course the cheekiness of Muggle Wump the Monkey). I had the animated Dirty Beasts rhymes on video ā they were great and you can still find them on YouTube...
Iād watch the video every day after school and it probably provided my first introduction to rhyming poetry and storytelling. I didnāt have a copy of Revolting Rhymes but I remember borrowing it from our school library over and over again and giggling at the word āknickersā in Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf. I loved the way he took these traditional stories that everyone knew and loved and changed our perceptions of them by altering the characters slightly or narrating from a different point-of-view.
My mum bought me a copy of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when I must have been about 6 or 7. I remember her saying it was āprobably too old for you at the momentā but she had seen it and thought of me and bought me a copy to read when I was older. However, I couldnāt wait and- although there was the odd word that I didnāt understand - I read it immediately. And then again and again and again.
And my love for his books hasnāt died now that Iām an adult. I recently picked up battered copies of his fascinating autobiographical works Boy and Going SoloĀ in Oxfam Books and fell in love with his books all over again.
Roald Dahl Dayā¦ Itās not just for kids!
I keep missing the boat on this one, so Iām going to plan ahead this time. Iāve decided that next year I want to celebrate Roald Dahl Day in styleā¦ Iāve thought about this for a few years now, and I think what put me off hosting an event before is that I didnāt want to host something for children or families. No offence to the little ones, I just think it would be really fun to have something for us adult fans of the worldās number one storyteller! Iām thinking a cabaret night, something with music and poems and storytelling. A night of made-up words and celebrations and general silliness. Maybe with a prize for best costume. And themed-food. Who knows? Iām going to make it happen thoughā¦ and I know itās a year off but do let me know if you fancy being involvedā¦Ā
Or maybe Iāll get really enthusiastic and make a whole Roald Dahl concept album. Maybe. Probably not. But I did write a Dahl-inspired song today and itās currently uploading to YouTube... Iāll launch it shortly!
Finally, hereās my Top 5 Roald Dahl booksā¦ in no particular orderā¦
REVOLTING RHYMES
So Iāve mentioned this one alreadyā¦ itās just a classic really and definitely the book that inspired me to start writing my own story-style rhyming poems.
MATILDA
Now, I know that I said these were in no order of importance but Matilda is certainly a strong contender for first place! I saw a lot of myself in the āReader of Booksāā¦ just like Matilda I would spend hours curled up in an armchair with an over-sized novel on my lapā¦ and Iāve always been short too! I loved that Matilda needed her little stool to help her reach things from the top shelf of the kitchenā¦ in factā¦ hereās a recent picture of me reaching for a cup. Haha.
But there was one part of Matilda that I didnāt see in myself and I envied ā her telepathy! This was a twist in the book that I never saw coming and that taught me to always ignore the bullies and stand up for what is right!
FANTASTIC MR. FOX
Now, this one I actually read as a play before I read it as a storybook. My mum bought me a copy of this one Christmas and I loved it. I spent hours reading the stage directions and making plans for my own version, even sketching set and costume ideas in a notebook. I think the grotesque descriptions of Boggis, Bunce and Bean and their hunting possibly contributed to my being a vegetarian(!) and I loved the way the animals worked together to outsmart the farmers, despite their differences. This book has a special place in my heart and I still have it nowā¦ even though over the years the cover has fallen off.
CHARLIE AND THE GREAT GLASS ELEVATOR
This one, in my opinion, certainly doesnāt get enough credit! Iām so surprised it has never been made into a movieā¦ with the vicious Knids and the age-reversing pills and the phone-calls to the USA Presidentās officeā¦ itās such good fun with so many twists and wonderful poems. A sequel that is just as good as itās predecessor. In fact, I think I might have to go find a copy so I can read it againā¦
THE WITCHES
I always had a fascination with witchcraft growing up and so, even though this one was a little bit scary, I loved The Witches. This was one that I read after seeing the film. That film! If you havenāt seen the 90s version of this āchildrenāsā movie I suggest you watch it. Itās kind of terrifying and I had nightmares for weeks after seeing Anjelica Huston remove her wigā¦ a classic. I hope they never remake it.
I could chat on all day about Mr Dahl, I really could. But insteadā¦ Iām going to put my reading lamp on and curl up on the sofa with the Roald Dahl TreasuryĀ andĀ a cup of tea. I think you should all do the same!
Oooh and look out for my song on YouTube!Ā
