Even the Queen’s consort weighed in: Amid the outcry in Britain over the rewriting of Roald Dahl’s books to remove terms deemed offensive, his UK publisher announced on Friday that it would continue to publish the original versions in a special collection will be published.
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Roald Dahl, author of James and the Big Peach, Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, died in 1990 at the age of 74.
Puffin UK will publish the 17 affected books by the famous children’s author later this year “to keep the author’s classic writing circulating” alongside their new releases.
The case was uncovered by the conservative Daily Telegraph last week. The rights holders have pledged to smooth out the language of all children’s books by the beloved author of several generations, but who was denounced in particular for anti-Semitic statements.
The number of modified terms is vast and touches on issues that are considered sensitive: race and ethnicity, gender, weight, physical appearance, mental health, violence, etc. A “huge” character has become “huge.” “A crazy thing” became “a strange thing”.
In France, publisher Gallimard assured Jeunesse that a rewrite was not in the news.
The planned new version of his books provoked many outraged reactions in the literary and political world, in the context of culture wars and regular accusations of “culture break”.
Salman Rushdie denounced “absurd censorship”.
At a reception on Thursday, Queen Consort Camilla urged writers not to be intimidated by “those who want to limit your freedom of expression or limit your imagination,” adding, while rolling her eyes and smiling, “It is everything said”.
These remarks have been widely interpreted as criticism of the rewriting of Roald Dahl’s books.