Children’s Fiction • Fantasy • Adult Short Stories • Poetry • Autobiography • Screenplays
Roald Dahl (1916–1990) is remembered as one of the most inventive authors of children’s literature. Yet his literary career was far more diverse than the extraordinary adventures of Charlie Bucket, Matilda Wormwood or the Big Friendly Giant might suggest.
Long before he became internationally famous for his children’s books, Dahl was writing disturbing short fiction for adults, combining psychological suspense, dark humour, cruelty and unexpected endings.
His work moves between fantasy, satire, speculative fiction, autobiographical writing, poetry and screenwriting.
This bibliography brings together his original books, major short-story collections, later anthologies and other publications in chronological order. It also provides reading orders for his connected works and identifies Romanian translations.
Because Dahl’s stories have been republished extensively, original publications and later collected editions are distinguished throughout.
📚 Roald Dahl’s Complete Bibliography in Publication Order
1940s — Early Publications and Wartime Fiction
1943 — The Gremlins
Dahl’s first children’s book, inspired by RAF folklore about mischievous creatures blamed for mechanical problems in aircraft.
The book reflects his experience as a fighter pilot during the Second World War.
1946 — Over to You: Ten Stories of Flyers and Flying
A collection of ten stories inspired by wartime aviation.
These stories helped establish Dahl’s reputation as a writer capable of turning realistic experiences into unsettling fiction.
1948 — Some Time Never: A Fable for Supermen
Dahl’s first adult novel, combining speculative fiction, satire and the threat of humanity’s destruction.
It revisits the Gremlins in a much darker context.
The American edition appeared in 1948. A revised British edition, titled Sometime Never, followed in 1949.
These are editions of the same novel.
1950s — Psychological Suspense
1953 — Someone Like You
An adult short-story collection featuring deception, obsession and disturbing reversals of fortune.
Its contents helped establish Dahl as a master of the unexpected ending.
1960s — The Beginning of His Children’s Classics
1960 — Kiss Kiss
A collection of eleven stories for adults.
Dahl explores human weakness, manipulation and cruelty through seemingly ordinary situations that take increasingly sinister turns.
1961 — James and the Giant Peach
A children’s fantasy about a lonely boy who embarks on an extraordinary journey inside a giant peach.
1964 — Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie Bucket wins a Golden Ticket to Willy Wonka’s mysterious chocolate factory.
The novel combines fantastical invention, satire, humour and moral consequences.
1966 — The Magic Finger
A short children’s fantasy about a girl whose unusual powers have unexpected effects on the people around her.
1970s — Fantasy, Dark Comedy and Short Fiction
1970 — Fantastic Mr Fox
A resourceful fox attempts to outwit three farmers determined to destroy him.
1972 — Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
The sequel to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, continuing directly from the first novel’s conclusion.
1974 — Switch Bitch
A collection of four adult short stories featuring mature themes, dark humour and manipulation.
Two of its stories introduce Uncle Oswald, who later receives his own novel.
1975 — Danny the Champion of the World
A children’s novel about a boy, his father and an adventure that reveals an unexpected side of their relationship.
1977 — The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More
A collection of seven stories combining imaginative fiction, unusual abilities and autobiographical material.
1978 — The Enormous Crocodile
A humorous and macabre picture book about a crocodile determined to eat children.
This was Dahl’s first book illustrated by Quentin Blake.
1979 — Tales of the Unexpected
An anthology selecting stories from earlier collections, particularly Someone Like You and Kiss Kiss.
It is primarily a republication of existing material.
1979 — My Uncle Oswald
An adult novel featuring Oswald Hendryks Cornelius, a character previously introduced in Dahl’s short fiction.
It is considerably more explicit than his children’s writing.
1980s — Fantasy, Poetry and Autobiography
1980 — The Twits
A grotesquely comic story about an unpleasant married couple and the tricks they play on each other.
1980 — More Tales of the Unexpected
A short-story collection mixing previously published material with stories not included in Dahl’s earlier major volumes.
1981 — George’s Marvellous Medicine
A children’s fantasy in which George creates a remarkable mixture for his grandmother.
1982 — The BFG
An orphan named Sophie meets a gentle giant and discovers a world of dreams and dangerous creatures.
1982 — Revolting Rhymes
Six familiar fairy tales retold in comic verse, with Dahl’s characteristic disregard for traditional happy endings.
1983 — The Witches
A dark children’s fantasy about a boy who discovers that real witches are very different from their fairy-tale counterparts.
1983 — Dirty Beasts
A collection of humorous and frequently gruesome animal poems.
1983 — Roald Dahl’s Book of Ghost Stories
An anthology of ghost stories by other writers, selected and introduced by Dahl.
This is an edited anthology, not a collection of original stories written by Dahl.
1984 — Boy: Tales of Childhood
Dahl’s first autobiographical volume, exploring his family, childhood, education and early experiences.
1985 — The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me
A short children’s story about an unusual window-cleaning company.
1986 — Two Fables
A volume containing:
- The Princess and the Poacher
- Princess Mammalia
1986 — Going Solo
Dahl’s second autobiographical volume, covering his early adulthood, experiences in Africa and wartime service.
1988 — Matilda
The story of a remarkably intelligent girl whose love of books and extraordinary abilities help her confront the adults who underestimate her.
1989 — Rhyme Stew
A collection of comic verse aimed at older readers than some of Dahl’s earlier children’s poetry.
1989 — Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life: The Country Stories of Roald Dahl
Seven stories, originally published earlier in Dahl’s career, brought together in a collection exploring rural life and human eccentricity.
1990–1993 — Final Works and Posthumous Publications
1990 — Esio Trot
A short story about Mr Hoppy, Mrs Silver and an elaborate plan involving tortoises.
It was among the last books published during Dahl’s lifetime.
1991 — The Vicar of Nibbleswicke
A posthumously published children’s story created to raise awareness of dyslexia.
1991 — The Minpins
Dahl’s final children’s fantasy, originally illustrated by Patrick Benson.
It was republished in 2017 as Billy and the Minpins, with illustrations by Quentin Blake.
1991 — Memories with Food at Gipsy House
A posthumous collaboration with Felicity Dahl, combining family memories, anecdotes and recipes.
Later published as Roald Dahl’s Cookbook.
1991 — Roald Dahl’s Guide to Railway Safety
A guide written for children, illustrated by Quentin Blake and distributed after Dahl’s death.
1993 — My Year
A posthumous volume combining observations of nature, childhood memories and reflections arranged around the months of the year.
📚 Books Reviewed on BookFairy
Explore my reviews of five Roald Dahl classics, from imaginative children’s adventures to the darker fantasy of The Witches.
- 1961 — James and the Giant Peach
- 1975 — Danny the Champion of the World
- 1982 — The BFG
- 1983 — The Witches
- 1988 — Matilda
🍫 Roald Dahl Reading Order
Most of Dahl’s books are standalone works, so readers can explore them in almost any order.
There are, however, a few important connections.
Charlie Bucket Series
| Book | Title | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | 1964 |
| 2 | Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator | 1972 |
These books should be read in order.
The second novel continues immediately after the events of the first.
Uncle Oswald — Adult Fiction
Recommended publication order:
- The Visitor — collected in Switch Bitch (1974)
- Bitch — collected in Switch Bitch (1974)
- My Uncle Oswald (1979)
These stories and the novel feature the same character, although the short stories and novel can also be enjoyed independently.
Boy and Going Solo — Autobiographical Reading Order
- Boy: Tales of Childhood (1984)
- Going Solo (1986)
Together, these volumes follow Dahl from childhood into adulthood and the Second World War.
The BFG and Danny the Champion of the World
The Big Friendly Giant is mentioned in Danny the Champion of the World before becoming the central character of The BFG.
This is a connection between books rather than a conventional series.
Both stories can be read independently.
🖤 Adult Short Fiction: Original Collections
Readers who associate Dahl exclusively with children’s literature may find his adult stories particularly surprising.
They often feature ordinary people making questionable decisions, followed by consequences that range from absurd to horrifying.
The principal collections are:
| Title | Year | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| Over to You | 1946 | Wartime short fiction |
| Someone Like You | 1953 | Psychological suspense and dark humour |
| Kiss Kiss | 1960 | Eleven adult stories |
| Switch Bitch | 1974 | Four stories involving adult themes |
| The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More | 1977 | Seven stories |
| Tales of the Unexpected | 1979 | Selected earlier stories |
| More Tales of the Unexpected | 1980 | Nine stories, including earlier material |
| Two Fables | 1986 | Two short works |
| Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life | 1989 | Seven previously published stories |
Notable Individual Stories
Important individual works include:
- A Piece of Cake — originally published in 1942 under the title Shot Down Over Libya.
- Beware of the Dog
- Man from the South
- Taste
- Lamb to the Slaughter
- The Ratcatcher
- Poison
- The Way Up to Heaven
- William and Mary
- The Landlady
- Royal Jelly
- The Champion of the World
- The Visitor
- Bitch
- The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
- The Swan
- The Hitch-Hiker
These are individual stories, not separate novels.
Several first appeared in magazines before being collected in book form. Their precise original appearances are best tracked separately from their later anthology editions.
📚 Omnibus Editions and Later Short-Story Collections
Roald Dahl’s stories have appeared in many collections over the decades.
For collectors, this creates considerable overlap.
Major Omnibus Editions
1978 — The Best of Roald Dahl
A selection of stories drawn from earlier adult collections.
1986 — The Roald Dahl Omnibus
A collected edition of previously published adult fiction.
1991 — The Collected Short Stories of Roald Dahl
A major posthumous collection of Dahl’s adult short fiction.
1997 — The Roald Dahl Treasury
An illustrated anthology containing selections from Dahl’s writing, particularly for younger readers.
2001 — The Great Automatic Grammatizator and Other Stories
A later selection of previously published stories.
2002 — Skin and Other Stories
Another collected edition introducing Dahl’s darker fiction to readers.
2006 — Roald Dahl: Collected Stories
A collected edition of adult short fiction, bringing together material from earlier publications.
The Complete Short Stories (2013)
Two chronological collections are especially valuable:
- The Complete Short Stories: Volume One (1944–1953)
- The Complete Short Stories: Volume Two (1954–1988)
For readers interested primarily in Dahl’s adult short fiction, these two volumes are an excellent foundation.
They also make it easier to identify stories that appear in multiple earlier collections.
Later Themed Collections
Themed editions published in the 2010s include:
- Cruelty (2016)
- Madness (2016)
- Deception (2016)
- Lust (2016)
- Trickery (2017)
- Innocence (2017)
- Fear (2017)
- War (2017)
These are thematic selections from earlier writing, not eight entirely new collections of original stories.
✍️ Poetry and Verse
Dahl published three principal original volumes of comic verse:
| Title | Year |
|---|---|
| Revolting Rhymes | 1982 |
| Dirty Beasts | 1983 |
| Rhyme Stew | 1989 |
The first reimagines familiar fairy tales, while the others include humorous, absurd and sometimes grotesque poems.
Later titles such as Vile Verses and Songs and Verse collect previously published material.
📖 Autobiography and Nonfiction
Dahl’s autobiographical and nonfiction publications include:
| Title | Year | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Boy: Tales of Childhood | 1984 | Autobiography |
| Going Solo | 1986 | Autobiography |
| Measles: A Dangerous Illness | 1988 | Public-health pamphlet |
| Memories with Food at Gipsy House | 1991 | Memoir and recipes |
| Roald Dahl’s Guide to Railway Safety | 1991 | Children’s nonfiction |
| My Year | 1993 | Memoir and nature writing |
| The Mildenhall Treasure | 1999 | Separate book edition of an earlier account |
The archaeological account The Mildenhall Treasure was published in earlier forms before receiving its separate 1999 edition.
Dahl’s writing about measles is particularly personal, reflecting the death of his daughter Olivia.
🎬 Screenplays
Roald Dahl also wrote for cinema.
His principal feature-film screenplay credits include:
| Film | Year | Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| You Only Live Twice | 1967 | Screenplay |
| Chitty Chitty Bang Bang | 1968 | Screenplay |
| The Night Digger | 1971 | Screenplay |
| Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory | 1971 | Screenplay credit; based on his novel |
These are distinct from film adaptations written by other screenwriters.
The later adaptations of Matilda, The Witches, Fantastic Mr Fox and The BFG, for example, are based on Dahl’s books rather than original screenplays authored by him.
🇷🇴 Roald Dahl’s Books Published in Romanian
Roald Dahl’s work has been extensively translated into Romanian.
The principal contemporary publishers are Editura Arthur, which publishes his children’s literature, and Editura ART, which has also introduced Romanian readers to his adult fiction.
The following catalogue identifies distinct works and verified Romanian titles. Different cover designs, formats and reprints are not treated as additional books.
📚 Children’s Fiction — Romanian Editions
| Original title | Romanian title | Publisher | Original year |
|---|---|---|---|
| James and the Giant Peach | James și piersica uriașă | Arthur | 1961 |
| Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | Charlie și fabrica de ciocolată | Arthur | 1964 |
| The Magic Finger | Degetul magic | Arthur | 1966 |
| Fantastic Mr Fox | Domnul Fox, vulpoi fantastic | Arthur | 1970 |
| Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator | Charlie și Marele Ascensor de Sticlă | Arthur | 1972 |
| Danny the Champion of the World | Danny, campionul lumii | Arthur | 1975 |
| The Enormous Crocodile | Crocodilul Enorm | Arthur | 1978 |
| The Twits | Gogomanii | Arthur | 1980 |
| George’s Marvellous Medicine | George și miraculosul său medicament | Arthur | 1981 |
| The BFG | Marele Uriaș Prietenos | Arthur | 1982 |
| The Witches | Vrăjitoarele | Arthur | 1983 |
| The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me | Girafa, Peli și eu | Arthur | 1985 |
| Matilda | Matilda | Arthur | 1988 |
All thirteen titles are represented in Arthur’s catalogue. Some are available in multiple illustrated formats, but each appears only once in this bibliography.
Editura Arthur
✍️ Poetry in Romanian
| Original title | Romanian title | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Revolting Rhymes (1982) | Rime revoltătoare | Arthur |
| Dirty Beasts (1983) | Lighioane spurcate | Arthur |
Both collections feature Dahl’s distinctive combination of humour, absurdity and unexpected outcomes.
The Romanian title Lighioane spurcate is confirmed by Arthur’s catalogue and publisher announcements.
format mare – Roald Dahl
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🖤 Adult Fiction in Romanian
Kiss Kiss (1960)
Romanian title: Țoc țoc
Publisher: Editura ART
Translator: Roxana Tocilescu
This collection offers Romanian readers an introduction to the darker side of Dahl’s writing.
It contains adult stories built around uncomfortable situations, deception and unsettling conclusions.
Roald Dahl
My Uncle Oswald (1979)
Romanian title: Unchiul Oswald
Publisher: Editura ART
Verified Romanian edition: 2016
Translator: Iulia Arsintescu
An adult novel featuring Oswald Hendryks Cornelius.
The novel’s explicit subject matter makes it very different from Dahl’s children’s fiction.
Roald Dahl
📖 Autobiography in Romanian
Boy: Tales of Childhood (1984)
Romanian title: Din copilărie
Publisher: Editura Arthur
Translator: Ciprian Jeler
A verified 2026 edition features illustrations by Quentin Blake.
The volume explores Dahl’s childhood and education and provides insight into experiences that influenced his later writing.
format mic – Roald Dahl
📕 Illustrated and Graphic Editions
Several of Dahl’s works have been published in Romanian in multiple illustrated formats.
For example, Vrăjitoarele has also appeared as a graphic novel adapted by Pénélope Bagieu.
Graphic adaptations should be distinguished from the original books. They offer different interpretations of existing stories rather than additional novels written by Dahl.
Similarly, promotional boxed sets do not represent new works when they simply gather books that are already available individually.
⭐ Where Should You Start Reading Roald Dahl?
For readers discovering Dahl for the first time, the best starting point depends on the type of fiction they enjoy.
For children’s fantasy: Matilda or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
For darker children’s fiction: The Witches.
For an adventurous story: James and the Giant Peach.
For adult psychological suspense: Someone Like You or Kiss Kiss.
For adult dark comedy: My Uncle Oswald.
For autobiographical writing: Boy: Tales of Childhood, followed by Going Solo.
For readers interested in his complete adult short fiction: the two chronological Complete Short Stories volumes.
Although his children’s books are his most famous works, Dahl’s adult stories offer an equally fascinating introduction to his imagination.
🦋 Final Thoughts
Roald Dahl’s bibliography reveals a writer whose imagination moved between genres and audiences with remarkable freedom.
His children’s fiction transformed ordinary experiences into extraordinary adventures, frequently placing intelligent and resourceful children against powerful, unpleasant adults.
His adult writing explored similar weaknesses and conflicts through psychological suspense, dark humour and unexpected endings.
The two sides of his career are more closely connected than they might initially appear.
For readers and collectors, understanding the publication history of his short fiction is particularly important. Many stories were published first in magazines and later included in multiple collections, making it easy to purchase the same material more than once.
By distinguishing original works from later anthologies, illustrated adaptations and omnibus editions, this bibliography offers a clearer way to explore Dahl’s published writing.
Whether readers begin with Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Kiss Kiss or Boy, they will discover a writer whose stories remain surprising, imaginative and unmistakably his own.
📚 Bibliographical Sources
- Roald Dahl Museum & Story Centre — Published Works
- The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction — Roald Dahl
- Poetry Foundation — Roald Dahl
- Editura Arthur — Roald Dahl
- Editura ART — Roald Dahl Collection
- Editura ART — Țoc țoc
- Editura ART — Unchiul Oswald
- Editura Arthur — Lighioane spurcate
Bibliography updated: October 2026.
