The simple hut in which Roald Dahl weaved his magical tales to captivate millions of readers is to be preserved for his fans worldwide.
His family is aiming to raise half a million pounds to move the atmospheric interior of the building, piece by piece, to stop the decay which has left it in imminent danger of falling apart.
They have launched a fundraising campaign today to enable them to move the hut – built more than half a century ago – to the Roald Dahl Museum for public display.
Dahl – who would have been 95 yesterday – would sit in the hut, located in the garden of his home, Gipsy House in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, alone to write. Only he was allowed in and he visited the property every day for 30 years.
Even now the building in which Dahl sat surrounded by knick-knacks has been a private place and visited only by friends, family and visitors to his home.
But the property has fallen into disrepair and there are fears that the property which gave birth to classics such as Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG and James and the Giant Peach could fall apart unless something is done.
Now his family is behind a plan to transfer the hut early next year to the nearby Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre.
The idea came from the author’s grandson, Luke Kelly, who was inspired by Francis Bacon’s studio relocation to the Hugh Lane gallery in Dublin.
Dahl’s widow Felicity – known as Liccy – said: “It is a forensic exercise, not only to retain the eccentric objects but more importantly the magical atmosphere that fed Roald’s seemingly limitless imagination.”
He was inspired to build the white-painted shed – built in the late 1950s from bricks with polystyrene after visiting Dylan Thomas’s writing shed at Laugharne.
It contains a wealth of items which Dahl loved to have around him while he wrote, including a huge ball made from foil sweet wrappers, a favourite wing-backed chair, pads of lined yellow legal pads shipped from the US and artefacts such as his own hip bone.
The author’s granddaughter, broadcaster and writer Sophie Dahl, is helping to launch the fundraising campaign.
She said: “When my grandfather died, he left in his wake an aching gap, but also a palpable magic and limitless imagination, which is not exclusive to my family. It is now time for us to save the hut but, even more importantly, to share it.”
It is hoped the interior will be installed by March and then a further £500,000 will be needed to create an interactive exhibit to set the hut in context for visitors.
The appeal launch prompted some critics to suggest that the family should use their own wealth to fund the project.
Journalist Misha Glenny spoofed the project on Twitter with a message which said: “Stella McCartney to appeal to taxpayers for money to restring her father’s Hofner bass guitar.” Another Twitter user wrote: “I love Roald Dahl, but.. half a million quid to relocate a shed? Really? And the continuing royalties won’t cover that anyway?”
And Sophie Dahl was dubbed the “Big Stingy Giant”, a reference to Dahl’s children’s book The BFG – which stands for the big friendly giant.
But Amelia Foster, director of the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre, responded to the criticism by saying the family had already made “a very significant financial contribution” to the project.She added that “rather than looking for individual donations, the main aim was to raise the money from trusts”.
“The hut is part of our national heritage and we also hope that individual philanthropists will want to play a part in securing its future – for everyone to enjoy,” she concluded.