Great Welsh Writers -Roald Dahl BBC Documentary 2016

Roald Dahl is thought by many to be the greatest children's writer of all time. His books have sold hundreds of millions of copies the world over and are still being made into Hollywood movies and West End musicals. But few people know that Roald Dahl was Welsh: born and raised in and around Cardiff in the 1910s and 20s. These early years were crucial for the man and the writer, helping to shape the course of Roald Dahl's entire life. This programme tells the untold story of the Roald Dahl's Welsh childhood, full of mischief and magic, but also sadness. We discover how books like Matilda and James and the Giant Peach were influenced by their author's schooldays. We delve into the tale of the Great Mouse Plot, and get a taste of a family home described by friends as a madhouse. And we look at the darker side of Roald Dahl's young life - the loss of a sister and a father, and being sent away from the mother he loved. With contributions from Roald Dahl's wife Felicity 'Liccy' Dahl, Horrid Henry author Francesca Simon and biographer Donald Sturrock.

[@invisibleray6987]

This is ridiculous, Dahl always identified as Norwegian, I've never heard him speak of Wales, and neither has anyone else, regardless of where he was born

[@padruigmacrodain]

No disrespect but if Dahl had truly identified as Norwegian he would never have written a single word in English other than to translate Norwegian works but from what I know it was the other way round. He wrote primarily in English and translated his own works into Norwegian simply because he could.

[@Vingul]

Rudyard Kipling was born in India, therefore he was Indian.

[@Poweroftouch]

If u don't have atleast 1 parents born in that country u are not ,just a resident .but these days People its wat they identified.

[@Vingul]

​@@Poweroftouch To be clear, my comment was sarcastic... I don't believe in simply "identifying as" something, you are what you are.

[@christopherbriscoe8665]

Dear Producers, I think if you ask Roald Dahl, "What ethnicity are you?" He would say, "I am of Norwegian ethnicity but grew up in Wales and England." I understand you are trying to bolster your Welsh writers series, but it strikes me as a tad SPIN. He was a Norwegian who was brought up in Britain, who sometimes, his parents or mother took him back to Norway.

[@m8o431]

Roal Dahl was born in llandaff

[@christopherbriscoe8665]

@@m8o431 Yes, you are right, but just because he was born in Wales, doesn't make him Welch - where you are born does not determine your genetic ancestry but rather your DNA decent. In Roald Dahl's case, he was from Norwegian descent. Saying that he was Welsh because he was born in Wales is the same as saying, Jesus Christ was a cow because he was born in a barn.

[@veritas6335]

Dahl wasn’t Welsh. He was born in Wales but was fully Norwegian. His parents were Norwegian, his first language was Norwegian, his childhood was filled with his mother’s fanciful tales, he spent many summers with his mother’s family in Norway. He was “Welsh” only by accident of birth, not by heritage.

[@padruigmacrodain]

Everything you said is true but he was Welsh whether he cared about his country of birth or not.

[@padruigmacrodain]

He was ethnically 100% Norwegian but that doesn't stop him from being Welsh. He was born in Wales and his earliest memories will all have been of his immediate Welsh surroundings, not a Welshman of native stock, certainly, but still Welsh even if by ten he was in England.

[@anniefinch6843]

I remember this author and my favorite book of his is Charlie and the chocolate factory.

[@IanP1963]

Lovely to see RD with his sisters, I nursed one of them at Stoke Mandeville in the 1990's.

[@Takeru9292]

did you really?

[@everynewdayisablessing8509]

You meant to say you worked in a nursing home where one of the sisters was a resident? He was born in 1916. In the 1990s his sisters would have been in their 70s.

[@mp-lz4he]

His parents were Norwegian immigrants to Wales.

[@nord1486]

He was born in Cardiff

[@rhianc2887]

Uh hes born in cardiff since you have no idea

[@mp-lz4he]

@@rhianc2887 to Norwegian parents.eho immigrated there...since you have no idea

[@rhianc2887]

m p yeah his parents are but not him he’s Welsh duh

[@mp-lz4he]

@@rhianc2887 just because hes born there. Doesn't take away his Norwegian heritage2..duhhhhh

[@carolinependleton8445]

Regardless of where he grew up and negative comments, he was and will always be in my opinion the best Children's writer.

[@charliedrosario999]

I hate how this disgustingly bigoted writer definitely incentivizes being small minded and liking bigoted humor. I do understand there is something called dark humour, but i don't believe that is what this fellow wrote.

[@jacqueclouseau]

Nix! Roald Dahl was from Norway!

[@mikaelad4671]

Wales had no influence on Roald Dahl, the reverse.

[@deznilove254]

My favorite book form him is the witches

[@si4632]

he loved wales so much he moved to england lol

[@si4632]

SirKrayg nothing wrong with that just sounds like they over egging the Welsh connection considering he was only there till he was 9 years old

[@harbinger9072]

He was 100% Norwegian.

[@aprildannettegosa5381]

si his mother moved the family he was 10 it was hardly his choice LOL

[@anniefinch6843]

Actually the interesting thing that this person should know is that according to BOY tales of childhood, that part isn't in The Great Mouse Plot. It's in the section called the sweet shop and the bicycle shop.

[@everynewdayisablessing8509]

So in Wales it's enough to be born there to be called Welsh? My kids were born in Scotland and that's the country their consider their home, they don't even know our mother tongues, because my husband and I are not from the same country so we speak English at home, but as kids of immigrants they are not Scottish. He should have been called Norwegian-Welsh or Norwegian-British and you would not annoy so many people. It's like with Marie Sklodowska Curie.Some people call her French where in fact she was Polish who married a Frenchman hence the Curie surname.

[@padruigmacrodain]

Your children are Scottish, just not of native Scottish stock as Roald Dahl was Welsh, just not of native Welsh stock.

[@charliedrosario999]

My God, why are you constantly repeating the fact that Roald Dahl's father was dead for goodness sake!

[@okaminess]

😂

[@ajscooters9203]

Hey guys

[@deldia]

Did he consider himself welsh?

[@ruivog]

Thank you.

[@rorykindlon5390]

Oh god

[@elizabethmezagarcia1751]

Encantada con el vídeo, pero sin duda me encantaría aún más si lo tradujeran: please!

[@ruivog]

Learn English, chica.

[@JUAN-er1zg]

@@ruivog ._.

[@robyndaniels1381]

He was NOT Welsh. He was the child of immigrants who came here to plunder and benefit from Welsh resources (coal) and gave little or nothing back to the country and his community beyond sentimental childhood pastoral reminiscences of his disengaged privileged childhood. He spoke no Welsh and knew little or nothing of Welsh culture. Even his idol Dylan Thomas was not Welsh for the same reasons. In fact Dahl settled in England, so - so much for being Welsh. No true Welshman could call anywhere other than Wales 'home'. Being born in Wales does not make you Welsh!

[@joelgriffin8222]

Most of Wales doesn't speak Welsh. So by your logic most Welsh people aren't actually Welsh

[@robertharris5538]

He was a child of tiger bay , pity that name has changed I quite like it

[@chrisblester37]

Who really cares about were he was born or if he was Walsh or not. It's the Great work he left behind people care about