* For the 1990 film, see [[Trivia/TheWitches1990 here]].
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* WriteWhatYouKnow:
** The hero's parents die at the beginning of the story, leaving him to be brought up by his grandmother, with the parents' wish that he is educated in England. Creator/RoaldDahl's own father died when Dahl was young, with the wish that he was educated in England, saying that English schools are the best in the world.
** The idea of witches wearing wigs to hide their baldness, and having no toes may have been inspired by two of Dahl's fellow passengers on his two-week sea voyage to Africa, as described in his autobiography ''Going Solo'': the elderly Miss Trefuis hated the sight of toes so much that she could not bear to cut her own toenails, and she made all the native boys on her farm wear shoes. Dahl's cabin companion U. N. Savory went to great lengths to hide his baldness, wearing wigs of different lengths every week, and sprinkling Epsom Salts on his shoulders to make out he had dandruff.
** The grandmother lovingly describes summer holidays in Norway, which were a staple of Dahl's own childhood.