Matilda is a children's novel by British author Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...

. It was published in 1988

1988 in literature

The year 1988 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-New books:*Margaret Atwood - Cat's Eye*J.G. Ballard - Memories of the Space Age*Iain M...

 by Jonathan Cape

Jonathan Cape

Jonathan Cape was a London-based publisher founded in 1919 as "Page & Co" by Herbert Jonathan Cape , formerly a manager at Duckworth who had worked his way up from a position of bookshop errand boy. Cape brought with him the rights to cheap editions of the popular author Elinor Glyn and sales of...

 in London, with illustrations by Quentin Blake

Quentin Blake

Quentin Saxby Blake, CBE, FCSD, RDI, is an English cartoonist, illustrator and children's author, well-known for his collaborations with writer Roald Dahl.-Education:...

. The story is about Matilda Wormwood

Matilda Wormwood

Matilda Wormwood is a fictional character in the children's novel Matilda by Roald Dahl. She is a highly precocious six-year old girl who has a passion for reading books. Matilda's parents do not recognise their daughter's great intelligence and show little interest in her, particularly her father,...

, an extraordinary child with ordinary and rather unpleasant parents, who are contemptuous of their daughter's prodigious talents. Matilda was adapted into a film in 1996, a two-part adaptation for BBC Radio 4

BBC Radio 4

BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...

 (later re-broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra) starring Nicola McAuliffe as Matilda and narrated by Lenny Henry

Lenny Henry

Lenworth George "Lenny" Henry, is a British actor, writer, comedian and occasional television presenter.- Early life :...

 and a musical

Matilda (musical)

Matilda is a musical written by Dennis Kelly with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin. It is based on the children's novel of the same name by Roald Dahl. The musical was performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company starting in December 2010 and running through January 2011...

 in 2010.
The parents of the five-year-old Matilda Wormwood

Matilda Wormwood

Matilda Wormwood is a fictional character in the children's novel Matilda by Roald Dahl. She is a highly precocious six-year old girl who has a passion for reading books. Matilda's parents do not recognise their daughter's great intelligence and show little interest in her, particularly her father,...

 have no interest in their daughter, but if they did, they would have discovered that she is incredibly gifted.