The Burbank International Film Festival will be showing a special 45th anniversary screening of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory on September 10th. As part of the celebration, they’re also hosting a COSTUME CONTEST and fans throughout the world are invited to send in photos of their best Wonka-inspired costumes. More details can be found over on the Calendar or on the BIFF website.
Author: Kris
Beautiful book covers…
I like Quentin Blake as much as the next Dahl fan, but lately I’ve been admiring some of the non-Blake covers of Dahl’s books. Some of them are older; some of them are from languages other than English. Aren’t they great?
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- Bantam, 1984
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- Bantam Skylark, 1979
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- Puffin, 1982
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- Peacock, 1979
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- Gallimard
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- Gallimard
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- WMF Martins Fontes, 2002
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- Rowohlt, 1977
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- Bantam Skylark, 1970
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- Gallimard, 1981
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- Hjemmets Bokforlag AS, 1982
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- Trumpet Club, 1988
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- Rowohlt, 1987
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- Gallimard, 1985
Dahl songs by Dr. Ian Inkster
Many thanks to Dahl super fan Dr. Ian Inkster for sharing with us five original Dahl-inspired songs he’s written! You can find them all on YouTube:
How Roald Dahl’s wife inspired the BFG’s magical way with words
How Roald Dahl’s wife inspired the BFG’s magical way with words – Lovely story about the way Roald Dahl got inspiration from his wife Patricial Neal’s way of speaking after her aneurysm in 1965.
New Wonka figurines from Funko!
Did you know that Funko have introduced even more Wonka figurines? Check it out!
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- Willy Wonka Funko Figurine
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- Oompa-Loompa Funko Figurine
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- Grandpa Joe Funko Figurine
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- Mike Teevee Funko Figurine
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- Veruca Salt Funko Figurine
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- Augustus Gloop Funko Figurine
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- Charlie Funko Figurine
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- Set of 5 Wonka Funko Figurines
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- Wonka Funko Dorbz Figurine
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- Oompa-Loompa Funko Dorbz Figurine
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- Set of 2 Wonka Funko Dorbz Figurines
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- Willy Wonka figurine
BBC Radio Bristol – Ask the Expert with Laura Rawlings
Yesterday Kris participated in an interview about Roald Dahl with Laura Rawlings on BBC Radio Bristol. You can listen to it here (fast-forward to about 1:26:00 to find the right bit). They talked about Dahl’s life growing up, his experiences in the War, and his lucky break as a writer. They also talked about Wally Saunders, the inspiration for the BFG. Thanks Laura – it was a lot of fun!
BFG’s real life inspiration was Roald Dahl’s friend and snooker partner | Daily Mail Online
Walter Saunders, a 6ft 5in local builder, spoke with a thick rural accent, had a bulbous nose and sported a long, wrinkly face which beamed with warmth – characteristics which Dahl used to create the BFG.
The Daily Mail Online has a lovely article today about Wally Saunders, Roald Dahl’s friend and inspiration for The BFG. I was actually lucky enough to meet Wally myself in 2000 when I visited Gipsy House. He was a charming old fellow, but it did amuse me that I towered over the BFG!
The Ultimate Map of over 100 Roald Dahl-icious Locations to Visit
Penny Alexander of A Residence has put together a map of over 100 places around the world related to Roald Dahl’s books and films. The post also mentions many activities happening in the UK this year to celebrate the Dahl centenary.
There has never been a better time to theme your travel adventures around the stunning places that inspired Roald Dahl’s books or were used as film locations, from the Old Man of Hoy in the Orkneys used as the giant land in The BFG, to The Headland Hotel, Newquay, location for the The Witches, these places are magical, …
Source: The Ultimate Map of over 100 Roald Dahl – icious Locations to Visit – A Residence
Many thanks to Jo from Wayfair for sharing this fantastic blog post with us!
BFG Corn Maze (Cambridgeshire, UK)
How cool is this? A Cambridgeshire farmer in the UK has planted a giant BFG corn maze. The BFG himself stands over 150 metres tall – that’s 500 feet! The maze will be open from July 16th until September 4th. You can find more details on the website: http://www.skylark-events.co.uk/.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Childrens Dance Workshops (London, UK)
If you live in London, there’s an amazing two-day event for children aged 8-12 coming up in August that will immerse them in the West End’s production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory before it heads to Broadway!