Roald Dahl’s work is being celebrated in a set of special stamps.

Charles Dickens will be celebrated later in the year with another series of special stamps

The set of six Royal Mail stamps, which also depict the work of illustrator Quentin Blake whose drawings are synonymous with Dahl’s stories, feature six of the author’s best-loved novels.

One of Dahl’s most famous tales, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, appears with a beaming Charlie Bucket on the 46p first-class stamp.

Other stamps feature favourites Fantastic Mr Fox (66p), James and the Giant Peach (68p), Matilda (76p), The Twits (£1) and The Witches (£1.10).

The 30th anniversary of The BFG (Big Friendly Giant), another one of Dahl’s hugely popular characters, is marked by a special sheet of four stamps all of which feature scenes from the story.

His daughter Ophelia Dahl said: “I’m so excited that Royal Mail has honoured my father, Roald Dahl, with these stamps. The stamps went on sale yesterday.

A spokesman for Royal Mail said that Charles Dickens will be celebrated later in the year with another series of special stamps.