Was This Famous British Author The Innovator Of The ‘Man Cave?’

Celebrated children’s author Roald Dahl may have been ahead of his time.

The 13th of September marks Roald Dahl Day, falling on the celebrated author’s birthday. Declared in 2006 on what would have been his 90th, the event presents an opportunity to reflect on Dahl’s work across literature. Having written 43 books in his time and having introduced the world to iconic characters like Matilda Wormwood and Charlie Bucket, Dahl’s contributions will remain firmly in our culture for years to come. 

But we’re not talking about those works today. Instead, we’re looking at something else close to Dahl’s heart. His shed. Believe it or not, Roald Dahl might have had a ‘Man Cave’ before the concept even became popular. 

The First ‘Man Caves’

The term ‘Man Cave’ was first published in the Toronto Star, back in March of 1992. The idea quickly became a fashion, with men creating spaces for themselves in sheds, basements and attics. John Gray’s infamous Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus further popularised the idea, and suddenly it became a part of our culture. 

It wasn’t long until these ‘Man Caves’ were appearing on TV and in movies, as famous characters and their friends gathered around for snooker, darts and a selection of beers. Of course, anyone who knows a little about Roald Dahl will be aware that the writer died in 1990, before ‘Man Caves’ were really a thing. Yet, Dahl had his own sanctuary that he liked to escape to. 

Roald Dahl’s Shed 

In the 1950s, Roald Dahl visited his friend and poet Dylan Thomas. Dahl was taken aback by Thomas’ writing space. The writer spent much of his time in Laugharne in a shed, which he had designed to be a home from home. The shed became the point of origin for so many of his ideas. So, Dahl thought he’d replicate the build. 

Back in his family home in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, Dahl created his own shed, which he affectionately referred to as his ‘little nest.’ With an ancient armchair which had previously belonged to his mother, an old sleeping bag covering his feet and a collection of bizarre personal items, Dahl made the shed his own. 

It was within this shed that some of the author’s greatest triumphs were born. Having custom-built the outhouse, Dahl could finally find peace within his creation, as he pondered his next world. The contents and interior of the shed have since been moved to The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre in Great Missenden, where his forward-thinking ‘Man Cave’ can still be admired.