Roald Dahl was born in Llandaff in Wales. Both his parents were Norwegian and he was the only boy in a family with three sisters. Roald's family was a very loving one, but when he was only three it was hit by a terrible double tragedy. Firstly his oldest sister died from appendicitis and then, only a couple of months later, his father died of pneumonia and a broken heart. From then on Roald was brought up by his mother and remaining sisters, and by his grandmother in Norway where he and his sisters spent the long summer holidays camping, boating, picnicking and swimming. It's easy to see the influence of a loving grandparent in Roald's own books, such as The Witches.

Roald hated his time at school and he left as soon as possible. There was only one good thing that happened while he was at school and that was that the boys were used as testers for Cadbury's chocolate. This gave Roald a love of chocolate that lasted the rest of his life and gave him the great idea for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Roald spent the first years of his working life abroad, mostly in Africa, but when he married and had his five children he came back to England and lived in Buckinghamshire, where he spent most days just writing.

During his life Roald wrote over 20 books for children. He wrote picture books and poetry as well as stories and he wrote two books about his own life, Boy and Going Solo.