Roald Dahl Books Rewritten By Sensitivity Readers
From the iconic Matilda to the fantastical Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, these are merely some of British author Roald Dahl’s best works, making him a household name around the world.
Source: Kobo
However, Roald Dahl’s books are being rewritten to remove language deemed offensive.
His publisher, Puffin Books, will remove words like ‘fat’ and ‘ugly’ from his stories to ensure that all readers can continue to enjoy reading them.
Hundreds of changes made to Dahl’s books
According to The Daily Telegraph, Puffin Books has hired sensitivity readers to rewrite various sections in Dahl’s books.
For instance, in Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, the character Augustus Gloop is now described as ‘enormous’ instead of ‘fat’. Meanwhile, another character Mrs Twit from The Twits, is now described as “beastly” instead of “ugly and beastly”.
Source: Cartoon Brew
In The Witches, they added a new passage into the novel. A paragraph about witches wearing wigs has a new line added: “There are plenty of other reasons why women might wear wigs, and there is certainly nothing wrong with that.”
The Guardian also reported that there are no longer references to “female” characters. For instance, Miss Trunchbull in Matilda, once a “most formidable female”, is now a “most formidable woman”.
The company also included gender-neutral terms in the books.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’s Oompa Loompas changed from “small men” to “small people”. Furthermore, the Cloud-Men in James and the Giant Peach have become Cloud-People.
The Roald Dahl Story Company regularly reviews his novels
Puffin Books and the Roald Dahl Story Company made the changes in collaboration with Inclusive Minds, known as “a collective for people passionate about inclusion and accessibility in children’s literature”.
According to The Guardian, Alexandra Strick, a co-founder of Inclusive Minds, said they “aim to ensure authentic representation by working closely with the book world and with those who have lived experience of any facet of diversity”.
A Roald Dahl Story Company spokesperson said, “It’s not unusual to review the language used alongside updating other details, including a book’s cover and page layout.”
The purpose of reviewing the language of these novels regularly is to ensure they “can continue to be enjoyed by all today.”
Critics slam move to rewrite novels
However, the move didn’t go down well among various authors.
Indian-born British-American novelist Salmon Rushdie called it an “absurd censorship”.
Source: @SalmanRushdie on Twitter
Writer and comedian Andrew Doyle posted comparisons of the original versions and the rewritten editions, highlighting that “these aren’t Dahl’s books.” He urged readers to buy the old versions instead.
A Twitter user called the move “unethical” because Dahl “can’t defend himself as he’s dead”.
Source: @belet_seri on Twitter
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Featured image adapted from New York Post.
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