The Twits Next Door

Greg James likes to think of himself as a celebrated radio presenter, author and all-round light entertainer. If you have kids,they might have read one of his children’s books. Chances are either Kid Normal or The Twits Next Door as they’re the ones that sold well. If not, you might well have heard him on Radio 1 where he has been since 2007 and on the prestigious Breakfast show since 2018. He also pops up on Radio 4 when they have some space to fill with his archive show Rewinder. As well as all this and enjoying faffing about online and on the TV, he hosts many podcasts. Some might say too many. They include his pride and joy: the loosely cricket-based one, Tailenders. And in the summer of 2025, he was presented with an honorary doctorate by the University of York for his service to dead ducks. Dr Greg lives with his wife, Bella Mackie (a much more successful and talented author, but not yet a doctor), and their dog, Barney (not yet an author nor a doctor but it’s only a matter of time), in a house.

Chris Smith writes about politics, sports, and entertainment for Vanity Fair. He lives with his wife, son, and daughter in Brooklyn.

Roald Dahl (1916–1990) was born in Llandaff, South Wales, and went to Repton School in England. His parents were Norwegian, so holidays were spent in Norway. As he explains in Boy, he turned down the idea of university in favor of a job that would take him to “a wonderful faraway place.” In 1933 he joined the Shell Company, which sent him to Mombasa in East Africa. When World War II began in 1939, he became a fighter pilot and in 1942 was made assistant air attaché in Washington, where he started to write short stories. His first major success as a writer for children was in 1964. Thereafter his children’s books brought him increasing popularity, and when he died, children mourned the world over, particularly in Britain where he had lived for many years.