Magic of Roald Dahl Celebrated on UK Stamps

Fans of Roald Dahl can enjoy their favourite characters from the bestselling children's author in the form of postage stamps.

The Royal Mail has released a set of six stamps celebrating the author's most popular stories, which feature illustrations by Quentin Blake, whose iconic drawings are synonymous with Dahl's children's classics.

The stamps, which range from 66p to £1.10, include characters from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr Fox, James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, The Twits and The Witches.

The 30th anniversary of The BFG, or Big Friendly Giant, one of Dahl's hugely popular characters, is marked by a special sheet of four stamps, all of which feature scenes from this legendary tale.

Ophelia Dahl, daughter of Roald, said she was excited about the stamps honouring her father.

"My dad wrote thousands of letters home throughout his life and never dreamed that one day one of his own characters would grace a stamp. He'd be thrilled. This is an excellent way for us to kick off a year of celebrations to mark 30 years in print for The BFG and it's great that the stamps include a collector's set, devoted to The BFG and other characters from this book."

Royal Mail spokesman Stephen Agar said Dahl's wonderful stories and timeless creations have touched the lives of children and adults across the UK and around the world.

"We are delighted to be featuring some of Roald Dahl's most loved stories as we start our 2012 special stamp programme. Later in the year we will be celebrating the life of another iconic writer, Charles Dickens, and a separate series on Britons of Distinction will all help make this a year to remember," he said.

David Erskine, a curator from the Roald Dahl Children's Gallery in Aylesbury, said the stamps are "a marvellous way" of commemorating the author's stories and Blake's illustrations.

"It was the perfect partnership between author and illustrator. All your favourite characters are featured in splendid miniature and I am sure that Roald Dahl fans of all ages will love these stamps. In fact, they will bring a smile to everyone's faces."

Kris Howard, who runs online Roald Dahl fan club roalddahlfans.com, said the stamps were a fitting way to commemorate the author.

"When I visited his writing hut in 2000, I noted the many cherished fan letters that he had pinned up on the walls. I don't think Roald Dahl would have been a big user of email; he liked to write things out longhand. Sending letters was an important pastime for him, and I think using one of his stamps to send a letter is a lovely way to remember him."

A spokeswoman from Roald Dahl's Literary Estate said the Royal Mail had done a wonderful job on the stamps.