Author: Kris

Is there a formula for LOVE? – Roald Dahl essay

Thanks to the National Library of Australia’s Trove, I was able to track down a Roald Dahl essay that I’d never read before! It’s called “Love”… and it’s pretty cynical. It’s his attempt to give young women advice on the formula for a lasting marriage, but he basically says that it’s impossible to tell when you’re in a relationship so you just have to ask your Dad for advice. 😳 He was 33-years-old by then, and still two years away from meeting his future wife Patricia Neal. Interesting view into his mindset at the time!

Quentin Blake: ‘A new Roald Dahl character to draw, nearly 40 years after my first’

The Guardian has a lovely piece by Quentin Blake, talking about how he came to create Billy, the Minpins and the other characters in a new version of one of Dahl’s last books. The new version is called Billy and the Minpins, and it’s available from September 2017. (The older version with Patrick Benson’s illustrations isn’t going away though!)

September 13 is Roald Dahl Day!

This Wednesday, September 13th, will be Roald Dahl’s 101st birthday, so it’s time to celebrate! The official Dahl site has loads of ideas for activities:

If you’re in the UK, make sure to check out the LEGO® sculptures of Roald Dahl characters appearing at various locations around England, Ireland, and Wales!

Lego Roald Dahl Characters in UK

Characters are springing from the pages of Roald Dahl stories and appearing at stunning locations around the UK!

From RoaldDahl.com: To celebrate Roald Dahl Day, LEGO® has teamed up with the Roald Dahl estate to install six LEGO® statues of Dahl’s characters around England, Ireland, and Wales.

Intrepid Billy, hero of Billy and the Minpins, will be at the Eden Project in Cornwall*

Charlie, the good-hearted hero of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will be at Manchester Central Library

Maverick inventor George of George’s Marvellous Medicine will be at Nottingham Railway Station

James, the adventurous hero of James and the Giant Peach will be at Cardiff Castle*

Anarchic Matilda will be in the foyer of the Cambridge Theatre in London, home of Matilda the Musical

Brave Sophie, hero of The BFG, will be at the National Trust’s Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland*

*Entry tickets will be required to gain access to the statues at these locations

Storybook Cosmetics collaboration with Dahl

As I blogged about previously, Storybook Cosmetics are indeed bringing out a Charlie-inspired eyeshadow palette book. The company has provided the press release below. I’ll be on the lookout for it when it goes on sale!

Storybook Cosmetics™ Announces Collaboration with Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Childhood classic to be turned into eyeshadow palette book

OMAHA, NEB. (January 26, 2017)- Willy Wonka’s Golden Ticket stated, “In your wildest dreams you could not imagine that such things could happen to you! Just wait and see!” That is exactly how Storybook Cosmetics is feeling as they announce a collaboration with the Roald Dahl Literary Estate for CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. The iconic children’s book served as inspiration for the latest Storybook Cosmetics eyeshadow palette book that will feature 12 Whipple-Scrumptious colors.

The made in the U.S.A. color palette will come in a life-size custom hardcover storybook and features a dozen cruelty-free highly, pigmented shades that range from mattes, metallics and pearl finishes. The limited edition palette would surely send Veruca Salt into a fit until she got one! But all good things come to those who wait…and in this case it won’t be until later this year when the product is perfected. Willy Wonka himself said it best, “Tremendous things are in store for you! Many wonderful surprises await you!”

“We are so excited to be teaming up with the Roald Dahl Literary Estate on this,” said Missy Maynard. “My sisters and I have been huge fans of the legendary Roald Dahl works since we were little kids. We guarantee that this palette will do the iconic story justice! It’s like Roald Dahl says in the book, “Something crazy is going to happen now, Charlie thought. But he wasn’t frightened. He wasn’t even nervous. He was just terrifically excited.” We really couldn’t be more excited about this collaboration! It really is a dream come true.”

Stephanie Griggs, the Roald Dahl Literary Estate’s Licensing and Design Manager added, “Roald Dahl’s CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY is not only one of the world’s most popular and iconic children’s books; it has also inspired two movies, and a hit stage musical- soon to open on Broadway. And now this exciting collaboration with the Maynard triplets! We love the fact that Storybook Cosmetics products are inspired by the magical stories Erin, Mandy and Missy enjoyed most as kids. The combination of stories and cruelty-free cosmetics demonstrates an inventiveness worthy of Mr Wonka himself, and we can’t wait to see the limited edition palette of colours inspired by the story.”

The Storybook Cosmetics Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Palette will be for sale later this year at storybookcosmetics.com. For the latest updates people can sign up on their website and follow the official Storybook Cosmetics Instagram account.

“The Amazing Eyes of Kuda Bux”

It’s not often I get to read a story by Roald Dahl that I’ve never read before! Recently I had that wonderful thrill though when I finally managed to track down a copy of Dahl’s 1952 essay “The Amazing Eyes of Kuda Bux” in an old magazine on eBay. I knew that Kuda Bux had been a real person, an Indian fakir who walked on fire and claimed to be able to see without his eyes. I knew that Dahl had written a “hard-to-believe true story” about Bux, and then twenty-five years later used him as inspiration for “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.” What I hadn’t realised though was just how much of “Henry Sugar” was already present in the earlier work. I’d estimate that 90% of the fictional account of Imhrat Khan’s life in “Henry Sugar” is reproduced nearly verbatim from the earlier essay. I’ve detailed the differences between the texts here if you’re interested. I guess the lesson is that Dahl didn’t hesitate at reusing and recycling earlier work when it suited him!