A charity drive by Roald Dahl’s family to to save the writer’s shed has triggered widespread anger.
Sophie Dahl went on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme appealing for £500,000 to restore the Buckinghamshire based garden shed where her grandfather penned his much loved children’s books such as James And The Giant Peach.
“It’s in a bit of a state, poor little hut. It needs help. We are trying to raise half a million pounds, which sounds like a great deal of money to move the interior of a little hut but it’s quite a process,” Dahl said.
But as soon as the appeal aired the BBC were inundated with calls from angry listeners wondering why Sophie, a seriously minted model and TV chef herself, or her grandfather’s estate couldn’t provide the money themselves.
“Roald Dahl Day tainted by Sophie Dahl begging for public money to fix Roald’s writing shed whilst his books are still selling worldwide,” one listener Tweeted.
“I love a bit of Roald Dahl. But being asked by his millionaire granddaughter to stump up for his shed being moved takes the Wonka biscuit,” said another.
A spokesperson for the Roald Dahl Museum defended the appeal.
“If anybody from the public wants to give money that would be great but we are not expecting them to. Our requests are going to trusts and foundations,” said Chairman of the Roald Dahl Museum Amanda Conquy. “We have raised half of the money already and the point of today’s announcement was to tell the world that soon the shed will be open to the public.”
The celebrated author Dahl died in 1990 aged 74.
His classics books such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr Fox and Matilda have sold over 100 million copies worldwide and have been made into countless movies.
