Roald Dahl was a spy, ace fighter-pilot, chocolate historian and medical inventor. He was also the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG and many more brilliant stories. He remains the World’s No.1 storyteller.
Born in Cardiff of Norwegian descent, Roald Dahl (1916-1990) joined the RAF at the age of 23 and began writing, initially for adults, after being injured in a plane crash during WW2.
Sitting in a hut at the bottom of his garden, surrounded by odd bits and pieces such as a suitcase (used as a footrest), his own hipbone (which he’d had replaced) and a heavy ball of metal foil (made from years’ worth of chocolate wrappers), he went on to write some of the world’s best-loved children’s stories. His first children’s story, James and the Giant Peach, was published in 1961, was a hit and every subsequent book became a best-seller.
Today, his stories are available in 58 languages and, by a conservative estimate, he has sold more than 200 million books. Many of these stories have also been adapted for stage and screen, including the 1971 film classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Wes Anderson’s acclaimed Fantastic Mr Fox, and the multi-award winning Matilda The Musical from the RSC with music by Tim Minchin. The next Roald Dahl story to hit the big screen will be Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of The BFG, which is set for release in July 2016.
2016 marked Roald Dahl’s centenary. Entitled Roald Dahl 100, 2016 marks 100 years since the birth of Roald Dahl – the world’s number one storyteller. There were celebrations for Roald Dahl 100 throughout 2016, delivering a year packed with gloriumptious treats and surprises for everyone.
Roald Dahl said, “If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.”
Find out more at roalddahl.com
YNGL?N Â ROALD DAHL A’I ETIFEDDIAETH:
Roedd Roald Dahl yn ysbïwr, yn beilot rhagorol, yn hanesydd siocled ac yn ddyfeisiwr meddygol. Ef hefyd oedd awdur Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG a llawer mwy o straeon gwych. Ef yw storïwr pwysicaf y byd hyd heddiw.
Yn enedigol o Gaerdydd ond o dras Norwyaidd, ymunodd Roald Dahl (1916-1990) â’r RAF yn 23 oed a dechreuodd ysgrifennu, i oedolion i ddechrau, ar ôl cael ei anafu mewn damwain awyren yn ystod WW2.
Gan eistedd mewn cwt ar waelod ei ardd, wedi’i amgylchynu gan drugareddau rhyfedd megis cês (a ddefnyddir fel troedfainc), ei asgwrn clun ei hun (roedd wedi cael un newydd wedi’i osod), a phêl drom o ffoil metel (a wnaed o bapurau siocled dros nifer o flynyddoedd), aeth ymlaen i ysgrifennu rhai o storïau plant mwyaf poblogaidd y byd. Cafodd ei stori gyntaf i blant, James and the Giant Peach, ei chyhoeddi yn 1961. Roedd yn llwyddiant ysgubol, yn yr un modd â phob llyfr a’i ddilynodd.
Heddiw, mae ei straeon ar gael mewn 58 o ieithoedd ac mae wedi gwerthu mwy na 200 miliwn o lyfrau, ac efallai llawer mwy. Mae llawer o’r storïau hyn hefyd wedi cael eu haddasu ar gyfer y llwyfan a’r sgrin, gan gynnwys y clasur o ffilm o 1971 Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, ffilm glodwiw Wes Anderson Fantastic Mr Fox, a’r Matilda The Musical arobryn gan yr RSC gyda cherddoriaeth gan Tim Minchin. Stori nesaf Roald Dahl i gyrraedd y sgrin fawr fydd addasiad Steven Spielberg o The BFG, fydd yn cael ei rhyddhau ym mis Gorffennaf 2016.
Mae 2016 yn nodi canmlwyddiant Roald Dahl. Yn dwyn y teitl Roald Dahl 100, mae 2016 yn nodi 100 mlynedd ers genedigaeth Roald Dahl – storïwr gorau’r byd. Bydd dathliadau ar gyfer Roald Dahl 100 drwy gydol 2016, gyda blwyddyn lawn o ddanteithion a rhyfeddodau i bawb.
Dywedodd Roald Dahl, “Os ydych yn meddwl pethau da, byddant yn disgleirio allan o’ch wyneb fel pelydrau’r haul a byddwch bob amser yn edrych yn hyfryd.”
