A hard-hitting letter by Roald Dahl criticising an eight-year-old girl's poem she had sent him has emerged 36 years later. While Dahl was a popular children's author selling over 250 million copies of much-loved books, he had a reputation for being a bully in private. And he was at his most acerbic as he criticised the poem's formatting.
Dahl's Critique of the Poem
He told the schoolgirl's teacher that her poetry was 'awfully good for her age' but added that she 'commits the usual crime of failing to scan her lines properly'. Dahl then blames the teacher for this as he states that 'I am constantly astounded that the scanning of lines in poetry is not taught in schools'.
The Teacher's Decision to Sell
The embattled teacher from a Buckinghamshire primary school has kept hold of the letter since 1990 but is now selling it at Plymouth Auction Rooms in Devon for an expected £400. It comes with the original poem by her pupil.
The typed-letter, signed in blue ink by Dahl, reads: 'I have received Nicola's poems and they are awfully good for someone her age, except that she commits the usual crime of failing to scan her lines properly. Scanning the syllables is such an easy thing to get across to children.' Dahl died later that year aged 74.
Auctioneer's Comments
Paul Keen, auctioneer at Plymouth Auction Rooms, said: 'This letter gives a glimpse into Roald Dahl's character, showing both his encouragement of young talent and his characteristically direct opinions.'
Dahl's Legacy
Dahl's most famous books include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda and James and the Giant Peach. He has sold more than 300 million copies worldwide, but publishers have recently attempted to censor sections of his books deemed offensive to today's readership. In a 2023 edition, publisher Puffin changed Augustus Gloop from 'enormously fat' to 'enormous' in one such alteration. The sale takes place on April 28.
