Society & Culture

The Secret World of Roald Dahl

by iHeartPodcasts

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Where it charts

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United Kingdom · Society & Culture

#159

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About the show

You know Roald Dahl as the writer who thought up Willy Wonka, Matilda, and the BFG. But did you know he was also a spy? "The Secret World of Roald Dahl" is a wild journey through the hidden chapters of his extraordinary, controversial life. How did this secret agent and struggling screenwriter wind up as the most successful children’s author ever? And what darkness from his covert past seeped into the stories we read as kids? A dark, twisty, fascinating true story from creator and host Aaron Tracy.

Latest episodes

(Bonus Episode) You Have Questions

May 11, 2026 · 46 min

Aaron answers your questions about Dahl and the show with the help of two extraordinary guests: writer Mark Harris on how to capture a complicated life, and the journalist who, decades ago, found himself alone with Dahl when the mask…
(Bonus Episode) Giant: A Conversation with Playwright Mark Rosenblatt

April 20, 2026 · 46 min

Mark Rosenblatt had never written a play before Giant, his portrait of Roald Dahl. Now it's the most talked about, best reviewed show on Broadway. Aaron sits down with Mark for a wide ranging conversation. Two writers who've spent a lot of…
The Writing Life

March 23, 2026 · 36 min

After all the adventures, all the struggles, all the discarded masks, Dahl finally discovers exactly who he's meant to be. Locked away in a small hut in an apple orchard, Dahl creates a ritual so precise and sacred that it borders on…
Adaptation

March 16, 2026 · 34 min

Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Tim Burton, Wes Anderson, Robert Zemeckis, Quentin Tarantino. No other author’s work has attracted as many legendary filmmakers as Roald Dahl. Some adaptations become instant classics. Others crash and…
The Fan's Dilemma

March 9, 2026 · 39 min

Dahl’s work faces a reckoning. Plus, decades after his death, a shocking decision is made about Dahl's books that ignites a worldwide controversy. Featuring conversations with cultural critics, including bestselling author Claire…
The Interview

March 2, 2026 · 33 min

At the height of his fame, Dahl picks up the phone for an interview and makes bigoted remarks that will haunt his legacy forever. A difficult question emerges that affects how we think about all artists, but especially those who shape our…
The Pivot

February 23, 2026 · 38 min

Desperate to salvage his fledgling career, Dahl makes a radical pivot and submits a children's story to his publisher. It's a massive gamble, and it fails spectacularly. His personal life implodes soon after. But from the wreckage of…
Lady MacRobert's Reply

February 16, 2026 · 40 min

When tragedy strikes his family, Dahl is forced into a waking nightmare that transforms him from a struggling writer into an unlikely medical pioneer. In the process, he ends up saving the lives of thousands of children around the world…