Lucy Burroughs answered
Surprising as it may be, Roald Dahl was never considered to have any particular writing talent as a child, although he did have a passion for literature. One English teacher went so far as to describe him as being "quite incapable of marshalling his thoughts on paper." To add to this, the claim "I have never met anybody who so persistently writes words meaning the exact opposite of what is intended" was written on one of Dahl's school reports!
Almost a century later, Roald Dahl is widely considered to be one of the greatest children's authors of all time, famous for classic works such as Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Witches, and James and the Giant Peach.
How Roald Dahl Started Writing
There's no evidence of Dahl having written anything but schoolwork during his childhood or teenage years, other than weekly letters sent home to his mother.
In 1942, at the age of twenty-six, Roald Dahl met C. S. Forrester (author of the Hornblower series), who asked Dahl to tell him about his war experiences. Dahl decided to give Forrester a written account of his time as a fighter pilot in the war, and Forrester was so impressed by the result that he found a magazine editor who agreed to publish Dahl's work. Remaining in the States (where he'd ended up after being discharged from the war due to injuries), Roald Dahl began writing short stories for magazines, gradually gaining recognition for his work.
Dahl's first novel for children was called The Gremlins, and was published in 1943. The book is based on the mythical, mischievous little creatures that RAF pilots would blame for mechanical troubles with the aircraft. However, he didn't write another children's story until 1961, when he wrote James and the Giant Peach. The rest, as they say, is history!
Almost a century later, Roald Dahl is widely considered to be one of the greatest children's authors of all time, famous for classic works such as Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Witches, and James and the Giant Peach.
How Roald Dahl Started Writing
There's no evidence of Dahl having written anything but schoolwork during his childhood or teenage years, other than weekly letters sent home to his mother.
In 1942, at the age of twenty-six, Roald Dahl met C. S. Forrester (author of the Hornblower series), who asked Dahl to tell him about his war experiences. Dahl decided to give Forrester a written account of his time as a fighter pilot in the war, and Forrester was so impressed by the result that he found a magazine editor who agreed to publish Dahl's work. Remaining in the States (where he'd ended up after being discharged from the war due to injuries), Roald Dahl began writing short stories for magazines, gradually gaining recognition for his work.
Dahl's first novel for children was called The Gremlins, and was published in 1943. The book is based on the mythical, mischievous little creatures that RAF pilots would blame for mechanical troubles with the aircraft. However, he didn't write another children's story until 1961, when he wrote James and the Giant Peach. The rest, as they say, is history!
