Puffin reveals new stories featuring Roald Dahl characters 

Puffin and the Roald Dahl Story Company (RDSC) are to publish new stories featuring Roald Dahl’s worlds and characters, including a book following on from The Twits written by Greg James and Chris Smith, and a collection of Christmas-themed short stories about a variety of Dahl characters. Also in the pipeline are new picture book versions of Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes.

The new books "will complement and bring new readers to Roald Dahl’s original stories", the publisher said.

The Twits Next Door, by James and Smith and with illustrations by Emily Jones, is aimed at middle-grade readers and described as "a deliciously revolting adventure filled with twists and tricks". The story tells of how a nice new family, the Lovelies, move next door to the Twits, and the Twits do their best to get rid of them. It will be published in hardback, trade paperback, audiobook, and e-book in August 2024.

James and Smith said: "We have spent many years visiting schools around the world with our children’s books, and we were never far from a child whose head was buried in a Roald Dahl book. It’s magical to see a writer we both loved growing up still able to encourage new generations of young people to pick up a book and have a great time. To be offered the opportunity to write a story starring the most revolting and hilarious pair of his famous characters was exciting, a little bit frightening and certainly too good to resist."

The book will be followed in October by Charlie and the Christmas Factory, with a collection of short stories – also for middle-grade – about "why Matilda is worried about being on the naughty list, what happens when years after the creation of his original marvellous medicine George’s granddaughter Gigi decides to make her own potion, and how Charlie plans to celebrate Christmas at the chocolate factory".

Adam Hills, Adam Kay, Ben Bailey-Smith, Elle McNicoll, Greg James and Chris Smith, Hannah Gold, Konnie Huq, Nadia Shireen, Nathan Bryon, Pamela Butchart, Sally Rippin and Sibeal Pounder will be the collection’s storytellers, drawing on the worlds of James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr Fox, The Witches, The BFG, and many more. Rikin Parekh will illustrate the book.

Parekh said: "I am a firm believer in the magic that is created when words and illustrations blend perfectly. And no combination is as magical as that of Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake. To collaborate with some of today’s best storytellers, to bring our own interpretations to some of the most iconic worlds and characters in the history of children’s books, has been an absolute privilege and a lot of fun. I hope that aspiring storytellers feel the same magic and excitement by Charlie and The Christmas Factory as we all did when we picked up a Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake book for the first time."

Meanwhile in May Little Red Riding Hood will the first in a series of picture-book versions of Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes, pairing the original text with Adam Larkum’s "wonderfully mischievous and exuberant" illustrations, for pre-school readers.

Harriet Murphy, director of publishing at RDSC, said: "We have been so impressed by the authors’ brilliant ability to capture the unique spirit of a Roald Dahl story and bring us some wonderfully funny tales of their own imagination. Roald Dahl’s stories are among some of the greatest children’s books, but we aren’t looking to imitate him, instead we wanted the authors to have fun and to use their own voice to take his extraordinary characters and creations into new stories which can delight existing fans and new readers alike."

Ruth Knowles, publishing director at Puffin, added: "We’re delighted to be celebrating Roald Dahl’s unique sense of the extraordinary, the magical and the mischievous with these very special new books. Greg and Chris, Emily, Rikin and the Christmas team of authors have created completely unique, brilliant, hilarious stories that lifelong fans and readers new to Roald Dahl will love. As well as being wonderfully accessible middle grade new books, they also celebrate the original characters and worlds they’re based on and so, alongside Dahl’s classic texts, offer even more choice for readers as to how they experience Roald Dahl."