Roald Dahl Day in Africa, United Kingdom and Latin America

Roald Dahl wrote most of his books in his garden shed. His books were inspired by the people and things around him. He invented more than 500 new words and character names. The famous book James and the Giant Peach was originally going to be called James and the Giant Cherry but Dahl later changed it.

The first ever Roald Dahl Day was held on 13 September 2006 - the day Dahl would have turned 90. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide. Dahl has been called "one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20th century".

Ever a man with a sense of humour, Roald Dahl asked to be buried with his favourite things - H.B. pencils, red wine, chocolate, snooker cues, and a power saw.