The Twits are back as celebs write spin-off Roald Dahl stories for ‘rights owner’ Netflix

Greg James, Konnie Huq and Adam Hills among 13 authors commissioned to write new fiction based on the beloved children’s book characters

The Twits are back to cause havoc for a new generation of readers as a selection of Roald Dahl’s characters are given a new lease of life in spin-off books written by celebrities.
Greg James, the BBC Radio 1 DJ, is among 13 authors commissioned to write new stories based on Dahl’s creations.
James and Chris Smith, his former newsreader, have written The Twits Next Door, based on the 1980 novel The Twits. He said the opportunity to write the story was “too good to resist”.
The announcement comes after Netflix bought the rights to Dahl’s children’s books in 2021.
The streaming giant owns the Roald Dahl Story Company, giving it control of published works, as well as TV and film rights.
The latest move comes amid a surge in interest from media companies in gaining the rights to characters and stories already loved by the public.
Other celebrities who have been commissioned to write stories include Konnie Huq, the TV presenter, Adam Hills, The Last Leg comedian, and Adam Kay, the former doctor and author.
James and Smith have previously published a successful children’s book series called Kid Normal.
In a statement, they told the BBC: “To be offered the opportunity to write a story starring the most revolting and hilarious pair of his famous characters was exciting, a little bit frightening and certainly too good to resist.
“We’ve had such a great time playing with The Twits.”
The story will see the Twits try to rid themselves of their new neighbours called the Lovelies.
Puffin, the publisher and the Roald Dahl Story Company said they hoped the books would bring new readers to Dahl’s literature.
The Twits Next Door will be published in August, and a short story collection entitled Charlie and the Christmas Factory will be sold in December.
In February last year, the Telegraph revealed Puffin had made hundreds of changes to Dahl’s original texts to appease a modern audience.
The ensuing row forced the publisher to announce it would produce uncensored versions of his stories and keep the classic texts in print.
Dahl, who died in 1990 at the age of 74, sold more than 300 million books. His family apologised for anti-Semitic comments made by the author in 1983 and in an interview in 1990.