The Essay: Roald Dahl At 100

To mark the centenary of Roald Dahl's birth, Frank Cottrell Boyce writes about the myth that the celebrated storyteller constructed out of his near fatal plane crash during World War Two, and how he so perceptively captured a child's eye view in his writing.

Cottrell Boyce also recalls his very first encounter with Dahl's writing which ended in outrage. The award-winning Cottrell Boyce's first novel, Millions was made into a feature film. He is a successful screenwriter and helped devise the Opening Ceremony for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Roald Dahl at 100 is a celebration of the storyteller's work and legacy ahead of the centenary of his birth in September 2016. Five acclaimed writers – the screenwriter and children's novelist, Frank Cottrell Boyce; the screenwriter and co-creator of The League of Gentleman, Jeremy Dyson; the author and performance poet, Laura Dockrill; the writer and former children's laureate, Michael Rosen, and the biographer Donald Sturrock – explore their passion for Dahl's dazzling worlds, his dark humour and wild language and how it inspired their own work.

Tuesday: Jeremy Dyson remembers his 10-year-old self and the day he discovered Dahl's stories for adults along with his storytelling genius.

Wednesday: Laura Dockrill remembers growing up with Dahl's heroine Matilda and discovering that it was OK to be different.

Thursday: Dahl's dazzling language and the clever observation of his poetry is celebrated by the acclaimed children's writer, Michael Rosen.

Friday: Donald Sturrock recalls meeting the genius storyteller in the writing hut at the bottom of his garden.

Presenter/various, Producer/Justine Willett for the BBC

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