Newly-disclosed letters reveal Roald Dahl as a caring tutor

LONDON - Ronald Dahl, one of the world’s best-selling children’s authors, was also a caring tutor, as previously-unseen letters have revealed he offered lessons on writing fiction to an old pal.

The correspondence gives an insight into the craftsmanship of the man behind ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, as he offers advice on how to write the perfect short story to a friend he served with in World War 2.

The letters included tips like importance of unexpected twist and humour in horror stories along with exposing a softer side to Dahl’s character widely seen as a curmudgeonly figure.

Dahl wrote the letters to Peter Moulding, whom he met during training to become RAF pilot in Middle East in 1940, a banker who wrote dozens of poems and short stories in his spare time.

In one letter Dahl says he read “with great care” all the stories his old friend had sent him - and goes on to offer an honest, at times seemingly harsh, assessment.

But after 19 years of hints, tips and advice, he tells his friend bluntly: “I’m sure you know that you are not a natural writer in the true artistic sense of the word.

“You are a thoroughly literate person who writes well, which is totally different. You must know this.”

Peter’s daughter, Sarah Oxberry, has revealed the letters, who rescued them following her father’s death in 1999.

“They lived very different lives in different parts of the world, but Ronald Dahl was unbelievably helpful to my father,” the Telegraph quoted her as saying. (ANI)