Kids

In the canon of children’s literature, colourful fantasies that would turn the stomach of any sensible adult are invariably at the apex of children’s lists. Roald Dahl was the original wizard of the wickedly compelling tale, dreaming up such characters as the obnoxious Violet Beauregard who stores chewed gum on her bedpost for safekeeping overnight, Mr Twit with weeks worth of food stuck in his beard and giants called the Bloodbottler, the Fleshlumpeater and the Childchewer. In honour of what would have been Dahl’s 90th birthday, the inaugural Roald Dahl Day on September 13 will be a nationwide celebration of his whizzpopping work. Feature continues

Quentin Blake’s trademark wispy illustrations for Dahl’s books are on display at the National Theatre. Opening the exhibition, Felicity Dahl, Roald’s widow, recounted fond memories of Blake’s visits to their home with each new set of drawings, which the three of them would spread over the dining room table to be examined over precariously placed bottles of wine. There will be more such snippets at an event on September 22 when the illustrator demonstrates his wacky inventiveness in a live drawing show and discusses how he and Dahl combined their imaginations to splendiferous characters.

During September the NFT is screening film versions of the books, plus ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’, for which Dahl wrote the screenplay, and two compilations of rarely seen television footage.

At the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre in the village of Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire there are special events such as chocolate decorating and guided village trails planned for September 13 and 17 (the museum is small and extremely popular so it’s always worth booking). Avid fans willing to travel (the trip takes 40 minutes from London) can also plan ahead to September 16 when there is a rare opening of the garden at Gipsy House, Dahl’s old home, with a treasure hunt, storytelling, scrumdiddlyumptious tea and cakes and the chance to peek into the famous writing hut.

On September 13 commuters passing through Marylebone station (the gateway to Great Missenden) will be treated to on-train readings of Dahl’s short stories for adults, which feature deliciously grim ways of bumping off unsavoury people.

Dahl was a vociferous supporter of children’s reading, and a foundation set up by his widow in 1991 continues to donate money (£5 million to date) and practical assistance to children affected by literacy difficulties and other issues that were close to the author’s heart, namely neurological and haematological diseases (www.roalddahlfoundation.org). Childers (as the BFG called the little ones in his gobblefunk language) who want to remember Roald in more modest ways, will find oodles of ideas on the official website. They could make Mrs Twit’s eyeball cakes which squirt strawberry jammy blood, download a template to make their own Dahl book or string together some celebratory buzzwangling bunting.

The Roald Dahl Day Challenge consists of ten fantabulous things to do during the day. Kids can choose from activities like wearing something yellow, which was Roald’s favourite colour, giving someone a treat (Felicity Dahl suggests reading to them), making up a loony Oompa Loompa dance and trying to talk backwards. There are enough ideas to pay just tribute to the absurdist, frequently revolting, unrelentingly compelling and utterly unforgettable Dahl.

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