Roald Dahl

Born in Wales to Norwegian parents in 1916, he was named after Norway's great adventurer, Roald Amundsen. Though his father died when he was just three years old, his mother decided to stay in Britain as it had been their wish that their children be educated there. Dahl spent several years in boarding schools which he did not enjoy, though he became quite popular and, being tall (he would eventually top out at six foot six), was good at sports. It was while at St Peters that a new chocolate factory, run by a Mr Cadbury, used to send candy bars to the school for pupils to test. Young Roald often day-dreamed of inventing a chocolate bar that would impress the choc impresario - later inspiring Dahl to write one of his most beloved stories 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'. After serving in the war he married actress Patricia Neal and the couple had five children. They divorced in 1983, after 30 turbulent years, and Dahl married Neal's good friend Felicity d'Abreu Crosland whom he was with until his death in 1990 from a rare blood disease. "A person is a fool to become a writer. His only compensation is absolute freedom." - Roald Dahl