After the removal of some references to things like characters' weight and appearance sparked a heated debate, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak criticized changes made to Roald Dahl books.
The BFG and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, among other works, have reportedly been updated to better suit contemporary readers, according to Dahl's estate and publisher.
Some people claimed to agree with the modifications.
However, Mr. Sunak's spokesman argued that fictional works should be "preserved and not airbrushed.".
The PM's spokesman quoted the BFG as saying, "When it comes to our rich and varied literary heritage, the prime minister agrees that we shouldn't gobblefunk around with words," using a term Dahl coined for playing with language. ".
Sir Salman Rushdie, a writer, is one of those who has spoken out against the changes.
The author of Midnight's Children and The Satanic Verses wrote on Twitter that Roald Dahl "was no angel" and that the censorship was absurd. "Puffin Books and the Dahl estate ought to feel guilty. " .
The Roald Dahl Story Company has stated that any edits that were made as a result of its ongoing review process since 2020 were "small and carefully considered.".
Dahl's books "should be allowed to fade away" rather than being altered, according to Philip Pullman, author of His Dark Materials, on BBC Radio 4.
Pullman said, "If Dahl offends us, let him go out of print.". Read all these fantastic authors who are writing today but who don't get as much attention due to the enormous commercial gravity of people like Roald Dahl. ".
Author and poet Debjani Chatterjee, however, thinks it is "very good that the publishers are reviewing his work.".
"I think it's been done quite sensitively," she said to the BBC World Service. Think of the word "fat.". "Enormous" was used. If anything, I find the word "enormous" to be funnier. ".
- The word "fat" has been eliminated from all books, according to the Telegraph, and Augustus Gloop from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is now described as "enormous.".
- The Twits' Mrs. Twit is now merely "beastly," not "ugly and beastly.".
- The term "weird African language" has lost its strangeness in the same book.
- Due to the emphasis on mental health, the words "crazy" and "mad" have also been dropped, according to the newspaper.
- The phrase "give her a right talking to" has replaced the threat to "knock her flat" in Matilda.
- The BFG's coat is no longer black, and Mary's line in The BFG now reads "still as a statue" rather than "white as a sheet." References to colors have also changed.
John Dougherty, a children's author, said on BBC Radio 5 Live that there is no reason the BFG shouldn't wear a black cloak. That is simply absurd.
And Augustus Gloop, for example, is so obese because he won't stop eating and is greedy. This is the whole point of the character.
There could be a case to be made that in today's society, Dougherty continued. "In my opinion, the book should be taken off the market if that is what you decide to do. I don't believe it is possible to say, "Let's change Dahl's words but keep the character.". ".
Children's books should be handled particularly carefully, according to Kate Clanchy, a former teacher who revised her own memoir after receiving criticism for some of the descriptions.
"Augustus Gloop is a gregarious individual. He'll still be morally greedy and his moral greed will be wrong, whether or not we make a lot of references to how fat he is, which I think can be upsetting, she said to 5 Live.
Books for kids have always been updated by us. It's a testament to how these books are taking on a mythical status. that we have once more adjusted them. ".
The Sunday Times' deputy literary editor, Laura Hackett, declared that she would keep reading her children's original copies of Dahl's books in "their full, nasty, colorful glory.".
She told 5 Live that she believes Dahl is so entertaining because of its nastiness. Children enjoy it when Bruce Bogtrotter in the animated film Matilda is made to consume the entire chocolate cake or when they are placed in the Chokey, a form of torture.
"And if you take out any references to violence or anything else that isn't pure, good, and friendly, you take out the spirit of those stories. ".
Sensitivity readers, who look over the books for potentially offensive material, made changes after reviewing them.
The Roald Dahl Story Company collaborated with Inclusive Minds, a group promoting diversity and accessibility in children's literature, and publisher Puffin.
The Roald Dahl Story Company wanted "to make sure that all children today continue to enjoy Roald Dahl's wonderful stories and characters," according to a spokesperson.
The statement read, "When publishing new print runs of books written years ago, it's not unusual to review the language used alongside updating other details such as a book's cover and page layout.
"Our overarching principle has been to maintain the storylines, characters, and the irreverence and razor-sharp spirit of the original text," it continued. ".
Dahl, one of the most well-known children's writers in the UK who passed away in 1990 at the age of 74, had his works acquired by Netflix in 2021.
Dahl, however, became a very problematic figure as a result of antisemitic remarks made throughout his life.
His family issued an apology in 2020, acknowledging the "lasting and understandable hurt caused by Roald Dahl's antisemitic statements."
