The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More

Roald Dahl is known for his many beloved children’s stories that capture the imaginations of children across the globe. Through his books, his readers have flown across the ocean on a giant peach lifted by seagulls, floated in a glass elevator above a chocolate factory, and captured dreams with a Big Friendly Giant. Dahl penned an extensive library of 43 books throughout his life, and these works have sold over 300 million copies worldwide. Although he is remembered for his children’s stories, Dahl lived a rich and interesting life and developed his skills as a writer of many genres.

Dahl was born in 1916 in Wales. His father was a successful shipbroker, and his mother belonged to a wealthy Norwegian family before marrying his father and emigrating to Wales. In 1920, Dahl’s sister died from appendicitis, and his father died of pneumonia a few weeks later. Harald Dahl left his wife and children a substantial fortune, so Dahl attended prominent British schools as a child. He was a mischievous child who caused trouble for his headmistress who later inspired the character of Miss Trunchbull in Dahl’s Matilda. He did not enjoy the schools he attended and was critical of the cruelty he saw in his peers and teachers. The violence he witnessed during his teenage years in boarding school reappeared in the darker themes of his books, such as in the story of “The Swan” in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More. After graduating, Dahl traveled the world while working for the Shell Petroleum Company.

In 1939, Dahl commanded a group of Askari men in Africa under the British colonial army. A few months later, he joined the Royal Air Force as World War II loomed. His time as a fighter pilot in the RAF led him to Libya, Greece, Iraq, Syria, and the United States. In March 1942, Dahl met Major Harold Balfour who appointed Dahl air attaché at the British Embassy in Washington, DC. He struggled to accommodate to his new role; the luxury of his lodging in the United States stood in stark contrast to the war-ravaged countryside and suffering he experienced overseas. When British novelist C. S. Forester was commissioned to write a piece on Dahl’s experiences, the author asked Dahl to jot down some anecdotes from his time as a fighter pilot. Forester was so impressed with Dahl’s writing that he published it without editing. During this time, Dahl made new friendships that led him to a career in espionage. Dahl provided intelligence for Prime Minister Winston Churchill to help Britian improve its relationship with President Roosevelt and worked with the British Security Coordination.

In 1943, Dahl wrote his first children’s book, The Gremlins. The book was successful, and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt read it to her grandchildren. After that, he wrote prolifically, publishing children’s classics such as James and the Giant Peach, The Witches, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The BFG, and more. During this time, he also wrote adult short stories with darker, more mature themes, including “The Landlady” and “The Collector’s Item.” Dahl’s children’s books were known for their use of violence and humor, and many of his works have been produced as films and adapted into Broadway musicals.

In The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More, Dahl describes some of the events of his life. He explains to the reader that the most difficult part of writing is finding a good plot, and he encourages young writers to engage with their imaginations. As Dahl explains why he became a writer, he details his history as a boy at boarding school and his time in the military, suggesting that imagination is born from diverse experience. Dahl was not content to merely write stories; he wanted to live them. His wide range of experiences contributed to his ability to develop characters that could appeal to audiences across the world and to weave together imaginative and unusual narrative elements.