Dahl, Sophie 1977-

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DAHL, Sophie 1977-

PERSONAL:

Born September 15, 1977, in London, England; daughter of Julian Holloway (an actor) and Tessa (a writer) Dahl; granddaughter of Roald Dahl (a writer). Hobbies and other interests: Collects first editions.

ADDRESSES:

Agent—c/o Ed Victor Limited, 6 Bayley St., London WC1, England.

CAREER:

Model, actress, and author.

WRITINGS:

The Man with the Dancing Eyes: A Fairy Tale for Grownups, illustrations by Annie Morris, Blooms-bury (New York, NY), 2003.

SIDELIGHTS:

Sophie Dahl is a model, actress, and author who has appeared in advertising campaigns for Yves Saint Laurent, Versace, and Donna Karan, among other companies. The eldest of four children of an actor and a writer, she changed schools frequently as a child and eventually went to live on an ashram in India with her mother. Her early association with the literary world came when her grandfather, renowned children's book author Roald Dahl, used her as the basis for the little girl in The BFG. A reviewer for New Statesman quoted Dahl as referring to her first novel as "part Eloise, part Love in a Cold Climate, part Edith Sitwell and part any one of her grandfather Roald Dahl's books," confirming his influence on her writing.

The Man with the Dancing Eyes: A Fairytale for Grownups tells the story of a young girl seduced by a London painter. The novel has a romantic flare. Pierre, the heroine, is named for the Pierre Hotel where she was conceived; she lives on a houseboat and works for a rare bookseller. Each page has watercolor illustrations done by Dahl's childhood friend Annie Morris. Lisa Allardice, in a review for New Statesman, was less than complimentary about the story, pointing out an abundance of clichés and stating that, "stuffed with posh English eccentricities and more fashionable names than a glossy magazine, this tiny book resembles a cross between an old maid's attic and an Itgirl's wardrobe." However, a Publishers Weekly contributor referred to Dahl's novel as "a frothy romantic fantasy," and a critic for O called The Man with the Dancing Eyes "a deliciously urbane fable."