Roald Dahl is for Grown Ups, Too!

With today marking the 100th birthday of Roald Dahl, children the world over are celebrating 'Dahl Day' through a range of activities, exhibitions and events. Here at Newcastle Region Library, we're joining in the fun, with some phizz-whizzing activities planned for the school holidays.

Although his most popular works are found in the junior section of libraries and book shops, Dahl did not always write with a juvenile audience in mind. His first forays into storytelling were written for an adult audience. His first published work, 'Over to You: Ten Stories of Flyers and Flying' was based on his experiences in World War II as a Royal Air Force pilot. Another collection of short stories 'Switch Bitch', was first published in Playboy magazine and explored the darker side of Dahl's sense of humour. Although much of his adult work was in short story form, he also penned 3 autobiographies, with the last ('My Year') being written during his last year of life.

Ronald Durmont/Hulton Archive/Getty Images/Universal Images Group

So, whilst the kiddles are enjoying the exploits of Dahl's more acclaimed characters such as Matilda, The BFG or Willy Wonka, why not kick back yourself with one of Dahl's more 'mature' creations? Browse through Newcastle Region Library's Roald Dahl collection via our online catalogue. You may discover something gloriumptious!

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.