Duchess of Cornwall Appointed Patron of Roald Dahl 100 Celebrations
Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall has been announced as Patron of this year’s Roald Dahl 100 – a year-long global celebration marking the birth centenary of the legendary writer and author. The Duchess’ first engagement in her new role was a visit to London’s Southbank Centre, to attend the launch of The Wondercrump […]
Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall has been announced as Patron of this year’s Roald Dahl 100 – a year-long global celebration marking the birth centenary of the legendary writer and author.
The Duchess’ first engagement in her new role was a visit to London’s Southbank Centre, to attend the launch of The Wondercrump World Of Roald Dahl – an interactive experience developed in partnership with the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff, which features archival material from The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre in Great Missenden.
Accompanied by Felicity Dahl, Roald Dahl’s wife, and Luke Kelly, Dahl’s grandson and managing director of Roald Dahl’s Literary Estate, the Duchess was given a special tour of the ‘Wondercrump’ exhibits, which include ‘Dream Jar making station’, at which visitors are encouraged to bottle their dreams like the eponymous hero of The BFG. The Duchess also joined actress Charlotte Scott (who plays Miss Honey in the RSC’s London production of Matilda the Musical) on stage to read a chapter of the BFG before an assembled audience of children.
According to Luke Kelly, “We are absolutely delighted – or ‘hopscotchy’, as The BFG might say – that Her Royal Highness has agreed to be Patron of the Roald Dahl 100 celebrations this year. With the Duchess having such a deep interest in literacy herself, we share a common goal – getting as many children as possible to be inspired by reading. The Roald Dahl 100 year has got off to a fantastic start with this glorious exhibition, but be prepared for many more surprises and treats along the way!’
Schools, libraries and bookshops across the world are being encouraged to join in and host events on Roald Dahl Day (Tuesday September 13th), in honour of the author’s birthday. This summer will further see the release of a new film adaptation of The BFG, directed by Steven Spielberg.
Other upcoming Roald Dahl 100 events in the coming months are set to include a re-branding of the annual Summer Reading Challenge as the ‘The Big Friendly Read 2016’, in which some 800,000 children are expected to participate; the transformation of Cardiff over the weekend of September 17th and 18th into the ‘City of the Unexpected‘; and major exhibitions of works by the illustrator and regular Dahl collaborator Sir Quentin Blake at the House of Illustration in London and the National Museum Cardiff.
