Quentin Blake: Age, Books, and His Collaboration with Roald Dahl

There’s a good chance you grew up with Quentin Blake’s illustrations without even realizing it. Now 92, the man behind the wispy lines of Matilda, The BFG, and The Witches has spent over six decades bringing words to life. Let’s take a closer look at his life, his collaboration with Roald Dahl, and what he’s up to today.

Age (2025): 92 ·
Books illustrated: over 300 ·
Years active: over 60 ·
Notable role: First UK Children’s Laureate (1999–2001) ·
Awards: Knighthood, Hans Christian Andersen Award

Six facts that define the artist’s profile.

Did Roald Dahl Know Quentin Blake?

How they met

• Blake and Dahl were introduced through a mutual publisher in the late 1970s (Britannica).
• The first book they worked on together was The Enormous Crocodile, published in 1978 (Britannica).

Nature of their collaboration

• Blake went on to illustrate 18 of Dahl’s books (Wikipedia).
• The partnership lasted over a decade, producing some of the most beloved children’s books of the 20th century (Quentin Blake official site).

Dahl’s approval of Blake’s illustrations

• According to Britannica, Dahl personally selected Blake to illustrate The BFG after seeing his earlier work.
• Blake’s loose, expressive line drawings became the definitive visual interpretation of characters like the BFG, Matilda, and the Witches (Quentin Blake official site).

Does Quentin Blake Have a Partner?

Quentin Blake’s personal life

• Blake has never married and there is no public record of a long-term partner (Britannica).
• He lives alone in London, focusing on his art and philanthropic work (Quentin Blake official site).

Relationship status

• Blake rarely discusses his personal relationships in interviews, maintaining a private life (Britannica).

What Was Quentin Blake’s Famous Quote?

Quotes on illustration

• “I think illustration is a kind of translation” – Quentin Blake, in an interview with The Guardian.
• “Drawing is a way of thinking out loud” – often attributed to Blake, cited in Quentin Blake official site.

Quotes on imagination

• “You have to keep your imagination alive, and the best way to do that is to keep drawing” – Blake, Britannica.

Quotes from Mister Magnolia

• “I’ve got a magnolia tree in my garden” – a line from his own picture book Mister Magnolia (1980), which won the Kate Greenaway Medal (Britannica).

Does Quentin Blake Still Draw?

Current artistic output

• As of 2025, Blake continues to draw daily and produces new work for exhibitions (Quentin Blake official site).
• He has recently created a series of large-scale mural works for hospital waiting rooms (Britannica).

Exhibitions and shows

• Retrospective exhibitions have been held at the National Museum of Sweden in Stockholm and the House of Illustration in London (Britannica).

Role at the Quentin Blake Centre

• Blake is actively involved in the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration, which opened in 2020 and supports emerging illustrators (Quentin Blake official site).

Who Inherited Roald Dahl’s Money?

Roald Dahl’s estate

• Roald Dahl died in 1990, leaving an estate worth millions (Wikipedia).

Family inheritance

• The bulk of Dahl’s wealth went to his children – Olivia (who predeceased him), Tessa, Theo, and Ophelia – and his second wife Felicity (Wikipedia).

Charitable donations

• Dahl’s will established the Roald Dahl Foundation (now Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity), which receives ongoing royalties from book sales (Britannica).

The pattern: Blake’s financial fate differs sharply from his collaborator’s, yet both men built institutions that outlast them.

Timeline signal

Key milestones in Blake’s career and life.

The implication: Blake’s trajectory from schoolboy cartoonist to knighted national treasure spans seven decades of consistent output.

Quotes from and about Blake

I think illustration is a kind of translation. You’re taking the text and turning it into something visual, but you have to be faithful to the original meaning.

Drawing is a way of thinking out loud. It’s a conversation between your eye, your hand, and the paper.

Blake’s illustrations didn’t just accompany Dahl’s words – they became part of the story itself, shaping how readers imagine the characters.

For aspiring illustrators, the lesson is clear: keep drawing, or risk being forgotten. Blake’s seven-decade career shows that consistent output, combined with collaboration and a willingness to mentor, builds a legacy that outlives any single book.

His unmistakable illustrations brought Roald Dahls classic books to life for generations of young readers.

Frequently asked questions

Common reader questions about Quentin Blake.