One of my favourite writer’s favourite writer.

When I started in the despatch department of an ad agency, I never thought I could become a copywriter because I wasn’t sufficiently well-read. At school, I’d found Dickens tediously over-written, Shakespeare “of its time” and Chaucer just a 14th century Benny Hill. But one day, Richard Foster, one of advertising’s greatest copywriters, told me that he felt the same way, and that his favourite writer was Roald Dahl. Dahl, he explained, could write anything for anyone, adapting his style accordingly. He could speak like an adult, and he could speak like a child. Dahl wrote simply, clearly and intelligently, rarely wasting a word. That versatility, ability to intrigue and compression of thought were essential tools for a good copywriter. The BBC have been busily commemorating the centenary of Dahl’s birth. Which reminded me that, if it hadn’t been for Richard Foster eulogising Roald Dahl, I’d still be delivering packages to EC4.