Matilda, Charlie, Danny, Pippi and the Naughtiest Girl - Where Would They Be Now?

A post on a Roald Dahl Facebook fan page got me thinking about where would some of his characters would be today.

The post was celebrating the 30th birthday of the Roald Dahl character Matilda. The illustrator of Dahl's books, Quentin Blake, was asked what he thought Matilda would be doing now as a 30-year-old.  He thought she may be an Astrophysicist, a World Traveller or perhaps even the Chief Executive of the British Library. Blake has illustrated the latest edition of Matilda with images of her as a 30-year-old.

But it got me thinking wouldn't it be awesome if someone actually wrote a book about the 30-year-old Matilda. How would she feel towards her parents now? Would her parents be nicer to her now? Maybe treating her better than they did when she was a child. What about her lovely teacher Miss Honey? What role would she now be playing in Matilda's life? Would Matilda still be burying herself in books?

And what about Danny from my favourite Roald Dahl story Danny, the Champion of the World?

How did growing up in a caravan affect him? Does he now live in a caravan himself or has he made a lot of money and lives in a mansion? Does he still poach pheasants? Is he breaking the law in any other way? What about his amazing father? Is he still around? Maybe he's living in a granny flat in the bottom floor of his son's three-storey mansion.

What about Charlie? How's that chocolate factory getting on? Has Charlie moved with the times or been left bankrupt and had to walk away from the factory? Are people even eating chocolate now or too worried about too much sugar and ensuring they stick to the Keto or the Five/Two diet. Or is it still the incredible place it was for Charlie when he was a child.

What about Pippilotta Viktualia Rullgardina Krusmynta Efraimsdotter Langstrump, or more affectionately known as Pippi Longstocking? She would be in her 80s now? What would she be like as a senior citizen? Is she still wild, funny and crazy. Does she still live with pets like a horse or a monkey or has she settled for a dog or a cat? And what about that suitcase full of gold? Is she also living in a mansion or has she settled for a new spot at one of those fancy and modern retirement homes?

And then there's Elizabeth Allen or otherwise known as the naughtiest girl? Her creator Enid Blyton  wrote 10 books about her but surely there's another story there. She's obviously left school. Hello.... she would be in her 80s. Maybe she is causing merry havoc in the same retirement home as Pippi Longstocking, leading all the other residents astray. Maybe she is being kept in line by the twins from St Clare's boarding school Isabel and Patricia O'Sullivan.

As for the Famous Five - there have been stories made of them tackling issues of the 21st Century thanks to author Bruno Vincent with books including Five Get on the Property Ladder, Five Get Gran Online, Five Go Gluten Free and Five Give Up The Booze.

If Vincent can bring back Julian, Dick, Anne, George and even Timmy the dog (how is that even possible), maybe there is another author or budding writer reading this who would like to update us on the happenings of Matilda, Danny, Charlie, Pippi and the Naughtiest Girl. Just putting the idea out there.