Roald Dahl writes books.
Roald Dahl ( [ langpronˈroʊ.əld _ ˈdɑːl ] , [ ˈɾuːɑl dɑl ] ; 13 September 1916 -- 23 November 1990 ) was a British novelist , short story writer , poet , screenwriter , and fighter pilot . Dahl 's short stories are known for their unexpected endings and his children 's books for their unsentimental , macabre , often darkly comic mood , featuring villainous adult enemies of the child characters . His books champion the kind-hearted , and feature an underlying warm sentiment .