"Outside of a dog, man's best friend is a book. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
— Groucho Marx
Roald Dahl | First Editions
1916 - 1990
Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British novelist, short story writer, poet, screenwriter, and fighter pilot. He is one of the most beloved children's writers of all time, and his books have sold over 200 million copies worldwide.
Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, Dahl served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence officer, rising to the rank of acting wing commander. Dahl began writing fiction for both children and adults, and rose to prominence in the 1940s. Today, Dahl is one of the world's best-selling authors, and has been referred to as "one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20th century". His awards for contribution to literature include the 1983 World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement, and the British Book Awards' Children's Author of the Year in 1990. In 2008, The Times placed Dahl 16th on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945".
Dahl's short stories are known for their unexpected endings and his children's books for their unsentimental, macabre, often darkly comic content, featuring villainous adult enemies of the child characters. His books champion the kind-hearted, and feature an underlying warm, moral current. Roald Dahl died on 23 November 1990, at the age of 74. According to his granddaughter, the family gave him a "sort of Viking funeral". He was buried with his snooker cues, some very good burgundy, chocolates, HB pencils and a power saw. Today, children continue to leave toys and flowers by his grave.
See below our stock of Roald Dahl First Editions, fine bindings, sets, and signed copies.
Results 1 - 18 (of 18)
The BFG. Illustrated by Quentin Blake.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1982. [Children's classic] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 13cm), pp.224. With frequent in-text illustrations by Quentin Blake. Publisher's grey cloth with gilt titles to spine. Pictorial dust-jacket, illustrated by Blake in colour and priced at £6.50 net. Some expected tanning to edges of text block, which was... More
The BFG. Illustrated by Quentin Blake.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1982. [Children's classic] UNCORRECTED PROOF of the FIRST EDITION. Octavo (21 x 13cm), pp.224. With frequent in-text illustrations by Quentin Blake. Publisher's printed red wraps. Lightly handled only; a near fine copy. The story of Sophie's adventures with the Big Friendly Giant, bursting with strange and quite... More
The Commemorative Limited Edition of the Works of Roald Dahl. Set of novels and short stories including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie and The Great Glass Elevator, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Magic Finger, Danny the Champion of the World, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, The Twits, George's Marvelous Medicine, The BFG, The Witches, Boy, Going Solo, Matilda, Esio Trot, James & The Giant Peach.
London: Jonathan Cape and Harper Collins, 1991. LIMITED EDITION, of only 500 sets of which this is No. 425. The only major collection of Dahl's works. 15 volumes illustrated by Quentin Blake and others. Octavo (25 x 17 x 35cm). Publisher's gilt-titled quarter blue morocco, over patterned paper boards, top... More
The Giraffe and The Pelly and Me.
London: Jonathan Cape and Co., 1985. FIRST EDITION, a nice association copy, INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR shortly after publication. Slim folio, pp.[32]. Publisher's glossy pictorial boards, issued without jacket, blue endpapers. Some rubbing to sides, extremities bumped. A very good copy, with presentation note to flyleaf; To / **** /... More
Rhyme Stew.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1989. First Edition, slim quarto. Publisher's navy blue cloth with titles in gilt to the spine. Colourful dust jacket in that unique "Blake" style. No inscriptions. Jacket is price-clipped. A lightly used copy in near fine condition. Book Collector No.271, 'The Great Illustrators'. More
Rhyme Stew.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1989. [Children's Illustrated]. FIRST EDITION. Small quarto (25 x 20cm), pp.80. With illustrations by Blake to every page. Publisher's blue cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the colour-illustrated dust-jacket. Jacket spine lightly sunned, slight creasing to top and bottom edges; a near-fine copy. More
Roald Dahl's Guide to Railway Safety.
London: British Railways Board, 1991. [Ephemera]. ORIGINAL PAMPHLET. Octavo (21 x 15cm), pp.24. With colour illustrations by Blake to every page. Publisher's colour-illustrated card wrapper, stapled. Child's ownership mark to verso of front cover. A little thumbed, otherwise good. 'British Railways Board asked Roald Dahl to write the text of... More
The Twits.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1980. [Children's Illustrated] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.80. Illustrated in-text throughout by Blake. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the dust-jacket also illustrated by Blake, priced at £3.50. Final gathering more heavily browned than the rest of the book. A little spotting... More
The Vicar of Nibbleswicke.
London: Century, 1991. FIRST EDITION. pp.24. Quentin Blake illustrations throughout, some in colour. Publisher's dark blue cloth in pictorial dust-wrapper priced at £6.99. Mildly handled. A few small marks to jacket. Near fine. A short novel: Reverend Lee doesn't realise that his dyslexia is affecting his sermons. His parishioners are... More
The Witches.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1983. FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.208. With illustrations by Blake. Publisher's green cloth boards in original pictorial dust-jacket. Slight toning/spotting to edges, some shelfwear, jacket price-clipped, no inscriptions or bookplates. A very good, lightly used copy. Basis for the 1990 Jim Henson-produced movie starring Anjelica Huston and Rowan... More
Two Fables.
London: Viking, 1986. FIRST EDITION, slim octavo (23 x 14cm), pp.64. Publisher's black cloth, titles in gilt to spine, in striking red and black dust jacket designed by Bet Ayer. Somewhat bleak illustrations by Graham Dean, including one disturbing colour print as a frontispiece. Minor edgewear; near fine. Two adult... More
The Magic Finger. Illustrated by Tony Ross.
London: Viking, 1993. [Children's classic]. FIRST VIKING EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.64. Publisher's purple cloth, gilt titles to spine, in pictorial dust-jacket. Top and tail of spine slightly rolled, bottom corners slightly bumped, some creasing to the top and bottom edges of the dust-jacket. Very good. The story of... More
Boy.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1984. FIRST EDITION, a nice association copy, WARMLY INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR shortly after publication. Octavo, pp.160. Publisher's cloth in original dustwrapper, pictorial endpapers, numerous black and white photographs and sketches throughout. The first volume of Dahl's fascinating autobiography. Edges a little dusty, one neat production crease... More
Kiss Kiss.
London: Michael Joseph, 1960. SIGNED FIRST EDITION. A famous collection of dark short stories by one of the world's most celebrated children's authors. Bound in dark green publisher's cloth in a pictorial jacket depicting two love hearts, designed by Charles E. Skaggs. Boards in very good condition, small marks to... More
Two Fables.
London, Viking Ltd. 1986. SIGNED LIMITED EDITION. Number 225 of 300 copies. Octavo, pp.[64]. Quarter red leather over black cloth boards, gilt titles to spine and upper board. Signed by Dahl on the limitation page. Illustrations by Graham Dean, including one colour print, as frontispiece. Slightest shelf wear, near fine... More
The Magic Finger.
London: George Allen and Unwin, 1968. First UK Edition. Quato. Bound in publisher's pictorial paper boards, displaying the unnamed protagonist and her magic finger to boards, titles to spine; pictorial blue endpapers, front showing the outstretched finger, and the rear showing a pair of focused eyes. Binding is a little... More
The Author's Eye.
[1988]. Octavo. Limp red paper covers with cloth spine, front cover shows reproduction of Dahl's signature in white. Shows only the most minor of wear, and the text is completely clean. An educational exercise book, accompanying the documentary "The Author's Eye" (Westminster, MD: Random House Media, 1988), directed by Todd... More
The Enormous Crocodile With Pictures by Quentin Blake
London: Jonathan Cape 1978. INSCRIBED, Second Impression. Publisher's glossy pictorial boards; INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR facing title page: "To / TIMOTHY / WITH LOVE / Roald Dahl / 1981" [underlined]. Some edgewear, extremities a little pushed, very good. Roald Dahl received the World Fantasy Award [Lifetime Achievement] in 1983. Book Collector No.271, 'The Great Illustrators'. More
Results 1 - 18 (of 18)