Sir Quentin Blake imagines what Matilda is up to 30 years after Roald Dahl's book was published
From astrophysics and poetry to Hollywood special effects, there's nothing Matilda Wormwood can't do
Sir Quentin Blake has imagined what Matilda Wormwood might be up to today, 30 years after the original Roald Dahl novel was published with Blake's illustrations.
Unsurprisingly, it's clear the beloved heroine can turn her hand to pretty much anything — from astrophysics and poetry, to Hollywood special effects.
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The famed illustrator has produced five career options for Matilda, revealed by the BBC.
In the original 1988 book, the precocious five-and-a-half-year-old outsmarts the loathed headmistress, Miss Trunchbull — and that defeat has provided inspiration for one of Blake's illustrations.
The image shows Matilda as Poet Laureate, "widely celebrated for her moving performance of The Trunchball Saga, an epic poem in 20,068 verses".
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Another illustration shows Matilda mastering her telekinetic abilities for a career in Hollywood special effects.
The other three images show her as an astrophysicist, the CEO of the British Library — the dream career path for any self-confessed bookworm — and as a globe trotter, easily mastering a new language in a day.
The five illustrations follow a survey conducted by the Roald Dahl Story Company, which asked the public what the 35-year-old Matilda might be up to — and who she'd be friends with.
The top three career options were school teacher (24 per cent), UN ambassador (12 per cent) or librarian (11 per cent), while almost 60 per cent of those surveyed thought that Matilda would still be best friends with Lavender, who memorably dropped a newt in Miss Trunchball's water in the 1988 book.
The poll also found that 42 per cent believed President Donald Trump would be the most likely candidate for Matilda's new nemesis — a pairing that has inspired a new statue of Matilda staring down Donald Trump, which was recently unveiled near Roald Dahl's former home in Buckinghamshire.
