The BFG: Facts About the Roald Dahl Book

Here are some facts about Roald Dahl’s The BFG.

  • BFG is an acronym for Big Friendly Giant.
  • The BFG was first published by Jonathan Cape in 1982.

  • The book was illustrated by Quentin Blake.
  • Roald Dahl dedicated the book to his daughter, Olivia, who died of in 1962 at the age of 7.
  • The book was turned into an animated TV movie in 1989. David Jason voiced the BFG.
  • In 2016, Stephen Spielberg directed a live-action movie adaptation starring Mark Rylance as the BFG.
  •  The character BFG first appeared in Danny, the Champion of the World as a character in a bedtime story told to Danny by his father.
  • In the first drafts of the story, the character of Sophie was called Jody. He changed the name, naming the character after his grand-daughter, Sophie Dahl.


  • The language spoken by the BFG is called gobblefunk. Roald Dahl created more than 200 words and phrases for the BFG to say.
  • Roald Dahl liked The BFG more than most of his other books.
  • The BFG’s shoes were based on Norwegian sandals worn by Roald Dahl.
  • It is thought that the BFG character was partly inspired by Roald Dahl’s builder, Wally Saunders.
  • The BFG has been adapted for the stage by David Wood.
  • The book has sold more than 35 million copies.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.