ROALD DAHL DAY When: September 28 th, 2:15 3 pm UK time. Registration is open now at

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1 ROALD DAHL DAY 2011 September 13 th 2011 marks the SIXTH annual Roald Dahl Day on what would have been the great man s birthday. Roald Dahl Day is a celebration of the work, life and diverse legacy of one of the world s best-loved storytellers. Celebrations are happening throughout September, all over the UK & Ireland and indeed around the globe. This year s Roald Dahl Day promises to be the BIGGEST EVER, which is appropriate as 2011 marks a phenomenal FIFTY years since Roald Dahl s classic tale, James and the Giant Peach was first published. Here are some of the scrumdiddlyumptious ways in which everyone can get involved: 1. QUENTIN BLAKE: VIRTUALLY LIVE Wherever you are in the UK, or indeed abroad, here s a rare opportunity to see Quentin Blake Roald Dahl s principal illustrator talking, drawing and answering YOUR questions live online. When: September 28 th, 2:15 3 pm UK time. Registration is open now at 1

2 2. FOLLOW THAT PEACH! A fun activity for all the family. Celebrate 50 years of James giant peach by sending a peachgram to your family and friends, whether online or off. Take a photo of yourself and your peachgram for our online gallery! When: Peaches are rolling right now! Get yours started today! Get your peach rolling right now at 3. TEACH THE PEACH! A great resource for teachers wanting some inspiration for lessons linked to James and the Giant Peach. When: Available now. Download the Teach The Peach! pack now at 4. HOLD A PEACH PARTY This September, join our mission to turn the country peach! Why not hold your very own Peach Party in your school, library or community? To help get your party planning started, we ve come up with 50 Scrumdiddlyumptious Ways To Celebrate Roald Dahl Day. When: Get planning now for an event this September! Download 50 Scrumdiddlyumptious Ways To Celebrate Roald Dahl Day NOW at 5. THE DAHLICIOUS DRESS UP DAY New for Roald Dahl Day 2011, an event packed with magic and mischief as schoolchildren nationwide dress up as their favourite Roald Dahl characters on Friday September 30th. As well as having a brilliant day, they ll be helping raise funds for Roald Dahl s Marvellous Children s Charity, which supports sick children with lifelong illnesses. When: September 30 th To take part in the Dahlicious Dress Up Day, sign up now for your fundraising pack at or schools@roalddahlcharity.org. 6. EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT ROALD DAHL ROADSHOW A firm favourite of Roald Dahl Day is the Roald Dahl Museum & Story Centre s annual roadshow, which gives schoolchildren around the UK the chance to find out more about Roald Dahl through interactive events. This year, the roadshow will visit Bristol (September 13 th ), Plymouth (September 20 th ), North Lanarkshire (September 21 st ), Rhyl (September 26 th ) and Coventry (September 29 th ). Over 3000 lucky schoolchildren will be involved in these events. When: September 13 th 29th 2

3 7. FAMILY FUN DAY IN GREAT MISSENDEN Celebrate Roald Dahl Day in the village where Roald lived and wrote his classic stories. Come and visit the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre for a day of special events themed around 50 years of James and the Giant Peach. You ll also have the rare opportunity to visit Roald Dahl s garden at Gipsy House from 11 am 5 pm. The garden is full of delights including Roald s iconic writing hut and Danny s gipsy caravan. When: Sunday September 18 th The garden opening is free with a voluntary donation to Roald Dahl s Marvellous Children s Charity. Museum entry is charged at regular price. For more information on what s happening at the Museum and to book tickets, go to and to find out more about the activities at Gipsy House go to 8. THE ROALD DAHL PHIZZ-WHIZZING POSTCARD COMPETITION IN ASSOCIATION WITH BRITISH AIRWAYS HIGHLIFE MAGAZINE An easy to enter postcard writing competition for children aged First prize is a family trip to New York - with lots of Roald Dahl treats included and an illustration of your entry by none other than Quentin Blake, Roald s principal illustrator. And if you re travelling with BA this summer, check out the Roald Dahl in-flight entertainment, including movies and audiobooks. When: Competition open now and runs until September 30 th. Enter now at 9. ROALD DAHL FUNNY BOOK PRIZE The fourth annual prize, which honours the funniest children s books of the year. The award was established by Michael Rosen, who will once again be Chair of the judging panel. When: Shortlist announced in September, prize ceremony at London s Unicorn Theatre on November 8 th. Find out more at MATILDA COMES TO THE WEST END - The RSC s critically acclaimed musical version of Roald Dahl s classic tale book by Dennis Kelly, music and lyrics by Tim Minchin - comes to London s Cambridge Theatre. When: Previews from October 18 th. Find out more and book tickets at 3

4 11. A MONTH OF CELEBRATIONS AT THE ROALD DAHL MUSEUM & STORY CENTRE Head to Great Missenden, Bucks, where every weekend in September, the award-winning Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre will be holding a swishwiffling series of special events, themed around 50 years of JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH. When: September Find out more at NEW PUBLISHING FOR ALL THE FAMILY At the heart of any celebration of Roald Dahl are, of course, the evergreen books written by the great man and this year there are several titles you won t want to miss: For children, there s a new full-colour edition of James and the Giant Peach to mark the title s 50 th year in print (published by Puffin, 7.99). There s also an amazing new rendering of another Roald Dahl classic - the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Pop-Up Book (Puffin, 14.99). To put a smile on everyone s face, you need Roald Dahl s Marvellous Joke Book (Puffin, 4.99), produced in association with Roald Dahl s Marvellous Children s Charity. For adult readers, there s the new paperback edition of Storyteller by Donald Sturrock - the official biography of Roald Dahl, published to considerable acclaim in 2010 (HarperCollins, ) There are also delicious new editions of four of Roald Dahl s books for adults Someone Like You, My Uncle Oswald, Over to You and Kiss, Kiss (all published by Penguin). These sinister, surprising tales are sure to entertain, amuse and even today shock readers. 4

5 TEN FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT FIFTY YEARS OF JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH: James and the Giant Peach was first published in 1961 by US publisher Knopf. It was first published in the UK in The book has sold 5.1 million copies in the UK alone and been translated into 34 languages. Roald dedicated the book to his two eldest daughters, Tessa and Olivia. It started out as a bedtime story for them both. The original idea for James can be traced back to Roald s note in his Ideas Book The cherry that wouldn t stop growing. Fairy story. He considered various types of fruit for the story cherries, apples, pears - inspired by the orchard in close proximity to his writing hut. When Roald began work on the story, he jotted down lots of insects and their characteristics, before deciding on his final cast list. The first draft of the book featured an Earwig and a Hairy Green Caterpillar, neither of whom make it into the published version. In an early draft of James, the old man who gives James the crocodile tongues (which cause the peach to grow) wanted to swap them for James legs! This was toned down for the published draft. Roald Dahl s principal illustrator, Quentin Blake, did not illustrate the book until 1995, five years after Roald s death. Quentin says his biggest challenge when working on James was the picture of the peach being carried along by seagulls, with sharks swimming in the water below. A major movie adaptation of James came in It was a combination of animation and live action and starred Joanna Lumley, Simon Callow and Susan Sarandon. 50 different sized peaches were used during filming! One of the book s first reviews was in Library Journal. Ethel L. Heins complained about its violent language and grotesque characterizations of Aunts Sponge and Spiker. Not recommended was her verdict. In spite of the book s initial success in the US - and that of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (published in the US in 1964) - no less than ELEVEN publishers in the UK turned both books down. 5