2026 is the National Year of Reading, so I thought I would look at some of the writers who have been associated with Amersham, starting with children’s authors.

Roald Dahl

The best-selling author Roald Dahl famously lived in Gypsy House, Great Missenden, where his most popular children’s books, such as The BFG and Matilda were written in a hut in the garden. However, before he moved there with his first wife in 1954, he lived at Wisteria Cottage (now 89 High Street) in Old Amersham with his Norwegian-born, widowed mother, Sofie Magdalene Dahl (née Hesselberg). After serving as a RAF fighter pilot in Greece and Egypt, Dahl was invalided out in 1941, to live with his mother in Buckinghamshire where he worked as an RAF instructor at a training camp in Uxbridge. In 1942, he was sent to America as the assistant air attaché at the British Embassy in Washington, where he supplied intelligence to MI6 and to Prime Minister Churchill.

When the war ended, Dahl returned to live with his mother in the UK and in 1948 they moved into Amersham. Dahl had already started his career as a writer. His first children’s book The Gremlins was published in 1943, and his first novel for adults, Some Time Never: A Fable for Supermen, in 1948. Both were inspired by his experiences in the RAF. His writing career really started, however, in 1961 with the publication of James and the Giant Peach.

Dahl married the American film actress Patricia Neal in 1953, after meeting her at a dinner party in New York and moved to Gypsy House. Sofie Dahl continued to live in Amersham for years, although she later also moved to Great Missenden.

Ian Fleming

Whilst Ian Fleming is most famous for his James Bond novels, in 1964 he published the first of three volumes about the exploits of a magical car, Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang. Ian Fleming was a regular visitor to Amersham during WWII when he was visiting the HQ of 30 Assault Unit at Coldmoreham Farm. This was a top secret commando unit deployed to seize Axis secrets, which was founded by Lieutenant Commander Fleming when he worked for Admiral Godfrey in Naval Intelligence.

Val Biro

The author of another series of children’s books about a special car, Val Biro, moved to live in Amersham in 1970. Biro was best known as the creator of Gumdrop, an aged vintage car with an incredible capacity for adventures. Originally from Hungary, Biro and his car were already local celebrities when they moved from Chesham, where Biro had lived with his first wife since the 1950s. In 1960, Biro bought an old blue 1926 Austin 12/4 ‘Clifton’ tourer which he restored with parts from vintage car clubs. An illustrator for the Radio Times and cover artist for numerous publications, including CS Forester’s Hornblower books, Biro was approached by his publisher to write a series of children’s books, based on the car. Gumdrop: The Adventures of a Vintage Car was published in 1966 and became a great success with 37 books eventually published in the series. The car’s owner, Mr Oldcastle, a vintage car fanatic, was loosely based on Biro himself and the books often featured Biro’s local friends. Gumdrop and the Farmer’s Friend featured well known Amersham builder Robin Brazil and his traction engine. Affectionate caricatures of friends and family members (including Biro and his wife) often appeared in the illustrations.

Biro and his second wife, Marie-Louise Ellaway (Mimi) lived at 95 High Street, the former home of the Brazil family, next to the Elephant and Castle pub until 1985 when they moved to Bosham near Chichester. Biro died in 2014, but Gumdrop is still going strong cared for by Biro’s grandson, Chris.

Beatrix Potter

Perhaps less well known is that Beatrix Potter, the celebrated author who wrote over 23 children’s books, also has a tenuous connection with Amersham. Potter visited the town in August 1905, and it is believed that she stayed with friends on the High Street, possibly in Frith House. By this time, Potter was well known as a children’s author after publishing The Tale of Peter Rabbit in 1902. Her success had allowed her to purchase Hill Top, her farm in the Lake District, in 1905, which she later gifted to the National Trust. Almost nothing is known about Potter’s visit to Amersham, however, she recorded her stay in two lovely watercolours of Amersham High Street and the Market Hall which are now in the Victoria and Albert Museum collection and can be viewed online.

Briony Hudson

Bringing us more up to date, however, is Medicine, a Magnificent Illustrated History. This book was published in 2022 by Amersham Museum’s director, Briony Hudson. Having worked in medical museums since 2002, Briony was approached in 2020 by publisher Big Picture Press to collaborate with illustrator Nick Taylor on a new history of medicine for 9 to 16 year olds. Briony said that: “This was an excellent project to get stuck into during the pandemic”. Bringing together key moments in medical history with quirky facts and lesser-known stories, it draws on Briony’s experience working with collections from pharmacy to surgery, and midwifery to women doctors. In fact, Briony and Nick only met in person for the first time in 2023 when the book won the School Library Association Information Book Award in the 13-16 year old category!

Mary Hamilton

Finally, Do Fish Cry? was published by local resident, and long-term museum volunteer Mary Hamilton (aka Annie Hamilton-Pike) in 2025. The story of two boys desperate to win a goldfish at Amersham Charter Fair was inspired by Annie’s own visits to Amersham Fair with her dad when she was a child.