Roald Dahl and the Cardiff Connection
ROALD DAHL STORY DAY is celebrated around the world on September 13 – but many readers of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda and The BFG may not realise that the story of one of the world’s most famous children’s authors began in Cardiff.
Born in the Welsh capital in 1916, Dahl spent some of his formative childhood years in Llandaff – and some of those Cardiff experiences would later find their way into his writing.
So why is September 13 Roald Dahl Story Day, where exactly was he born, and what can visitors still see of his Cardiff connections today?
WHEN IS ROALD DAHL STORY DAY 2026?
Roald Dahl Story Day takes place on Sunday, September 13, 2026.
It is held every year on September 13 because that was Dahl’s birthday.
Schools, libraries, families and readers around the world use the day to celebrate his stories and characters, whether by reading the books, dressing as favourite characters or organising story-related activities.
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WAS ROALD DAHL BORN IN CARDIFF?
Yes.
Roald Dahl was born in Llandaff, Cardiff, on September 13, 1916, to Norwegian parents.
His Welsh childhood was relatively brief compared with the decades he later spent elsewhere, but Cardiff left some colourful memories.
He attended Llandaff Cathedral School and grew up surrounded by places which would later feature in his childhood memoir Boy: Tales of Childhood.
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WHAT WAS ROALD DAHL’S FAMOUS LLANDAFF SWEET-SHOP STORY?
This is perhaps the most wonderfully Dahl-like part of his Cardiff childhood.
As a schoolboy, Dahl and his friends regularly visited a sweet shop on Llandaff High Street.
The shopkeeper later appeared in Dahl’s memoir under the name Mrs Pratchett, and the young boys decided to play an infamous prank on her.
They placed a dead mouse in a jar of sweets.
The escapade became known as The Great Mouse Plot, although the joke ended painfully for Dahl and his friends when the shopkeeper reported them to their school and they were caned by the headmaster.
The old sweet-shop building can still be found on Llandaff High Street and carries a blue plaque commemorating the connection.
It is difficult not to wonder whether spending so much time staring at jars of sweets helped plant some very early seeds for the extraordinary confectionery world Dahl would later create.
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DID CARDIFF INSPIRE CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY?
Dahl’s fascination with sweets certainly began early, but another important influence came later at boarding school, when pupils were invited to test new chocolate bars for Cadbury.
The Roald Dahl Story Company describes this as one of the moments of inspiration that eventually contributed to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
So Cardiff’s sweet shops were part of the story – although Willy Wonka’s factory took rather longer to arrive.
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WHAT WAS ROALD DAHL’S CONNECTION WITH CARDIFF’S NORWEGIAN CHURCH?
Dahl’s parents were Norwegian and the family worshipped at the Norwegian Church in Cardiff.
Roald was christened there, and the restored white church in Cardiff Bay is today an arts and cultural venue.
Nearby is Roald Dahl Plass, the large public space outside the Wales Millennium Centre which carries his name.
So visitors to modern Cardiff can encounter Dahl’s name without travelling far from the waterfront.
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WHICH ROALD DAHL BOOKS ARE THE MOST FAMOUS?
Among Dahl’s best-known children’s stories are:
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr Fox, The Twits, The Witches and George’s Marvellous Medicine.
His work has travelled far beyond the printed page through films, television, theatre and musicals.
The Roald Dahl Story Company says his books have now sold more than 300 million copies globally and have been translated into 69 languages.
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IS ROALD DAHL STILL RELEVANT IN 2026?
Very much so.
His stories continue to be adapted for stage and screen, while a new Netflix television series based on Dahl’s short stories for adults is currently in production, with a cast including Imelda Staunton, Nicola Coughlan, Toby Jones and Dominic West.
More than three decades after Dahl’s death in 1990, his strange, mischievous and sometimes rather dark imagination continues to find new audiences.
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CAN I VISIT ROALD DAHL LOCATIONS IN CARDIFF?
Certainly.
The most obvious place to begin is Llandaff, where visitors can see the cathedral area, the former sweet shop associated with the Great Mouse Plot and several other childhood locations.
In Cardiff Bay, the Norwegian Church and Roald Dahl Plass provide further reminders of one of the city’s most internationally famous writers.
For readers around the world, September 13 may be a day to pick up Matilda, revisit Willy Wonka or spend a little time with the BFG.
But in Cardiff there is another way to celebrate.
Before there was Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, there was a little sweet shop in Llandaff – and one very mischievous schoolboy with a dead mouse.