The editing of British writer Roald Dahl childrens books, has rapidly caused outrage, many accusing the publisher, Puffin Books, of censorship. Hundreds of changes to the new editions have been made in an effort to make them more inclusive,.
Puffin, the publisher, hired sensitised readers to rewrite large sections of Roald Dahls texts in order to ensure that the childrens books could still be enjoyed by everyone today. The Telegraph has found hundreds of changes in the stories told by Dahl. The report compares a 2001 edition of a childrens book by Dahl to the 2022 edition, and found the word ‘fat’ has been systematically edited out.
Why edit?
The editing removes language in relation to race, sex, weight and mental health. Works like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, were edited to remove abusive language and to encourage greater inclusiveness, according to a new report by The Telegraph. The British publisher worked with The Roald Dahl Story Company (RDSC), now owned solely by Netflix, and Inclusive Minds, to revise the texts.
The British newspaper The Telegraph has revealed for the first time that publisher Puffin, which publishes the Dal books, has made hundreds of changes to the original texts of Roald Dahls famous childrens books. The publisher, Puffin, and Roald Dahl Story Company made wide-ranging changes across the Dalds works, working in partnership with , described by its spokeswoman as acollective of individuals passionate about inclusiveness and accessibility in childrens literature.
Puffin made the changes in partnership with Roald Dahl Story Company and Inclusive Minds. The latest edits put Roald Dahls trademark, the property for which Netflix pays handsomely and that brings millions in income to Puffins parent company, Penguin Random House, on the line with what Roald Dahl puts on the pages.
The books were written years ago, so Puffin Books reviews language regularly to make sure that it continues to be enjoyed by everyone today, according to the notes about the changes.
PEN America has spoken most correctly against this change, noting it sets a dangerous precedent of book edits and bans. PEN America – the writers group which advocates freedom of expression – said that they were alarmed at reports that they were being removed. The changes to Dahls book marked the latest skirmish in the culture-sensitivity debate, with advocates seeking to safeguard young people against cultural, ethnic, and gender stereotypes in literature and other media.
A review of the new editions of Roald Dahls books, which are available now from bookstores, shows some paragraphs dealing with weight, mental health, sex and race have been removed. Some right-wingers are calling this censorship by the bullies in the Woke Up movement, an interesting sentiment when conservatives are actively trying to ban hundreds of books in whole from schools.