Roald Dahl

"Roald Dahl was no angel but this is absurd censorship," Rushdie said.

- The popular author had a controversial past, with a history of making antisemitic comments. The word "ugly" was also removed. - "The Dahl family and the Roald Dahl Story Company deeply apologise for the lasting and understandable hurt caused by some of Roald Dahl's statements," the comment read, per the - "Those who might cheer specific edits to Dahl's work should consider how the power to rewrite books might be used in the hands of those who do not share their values and sensibilities," she added. - In some cases, language was also added, such as in "The Witches," in a paragraph about the witches being bald under their wigs. [Roald Dahl Story Company](https://www.axios.com/2021/09/22/netflix-roald-dahl-deal?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_content=economy-business-roalddahl) made hundreds of changes to the children's books to allow them to "be enjoyed by all children today," the Washington Post [reports](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2023/02/19/roald-dahl-books-revisions-salman-rushdie/).

Author Salman Rushdie among those angry after some passages relating to weight, gender, mental health and race were rewritten.

Any changes were “small and carefully considered”, the company said. Dahl died in 1990 at the age of 74. Critics complain revisions to suit 21st century sensibilities risk undermining the genius of great artists and preventing readers from confronting the world as it is. Augustus Gloop, Charlie’s gluttonous antagonist in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which originally was published in 1964, is no longer “enormously fat,” just “enormous”. The machines are now simply “murderous, brutal-looking monsters”. A review of new editions of Dahl’s books now available in bookstores shows that some passages relating to weight, mental health, gender and race were altered.

Publisher Puffin Books, an imprint of Penguin Books, has edited Roald Dahl's books in an effort to reflect a more inclusive language.

Sensitivity readers were hired to review the books in 2020. Miss Trunchbull, the villain in Matilda, is referred to as the “most formidable woman” instead of the “most formidable female.” In the same story, the lead character now reads Jane Austen instead of Rudyard Kipling. For example, the character Augustus Gloop from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is no longer referred to as “fat” and is now described as “enormous.” The Oompa-Loompas are gender-neutral and no longer referred to as “small men” but are now “small people.” Additionally, they are not described as “tiny,” “titchy” or “no higher than my knee.”

Children's imprint Puffin has edited the works of writer Roald Dahl, known for 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' and 'Matilda,' for content.

However, the review of the author’s works began in 2020, before the deal. It was led by Puffin and Roald Dahl Story Company together.” A spokesperson for the Roald Dahl Story Company told Variety: “We want to ensure that Roald Dahl’s wonderful stories and characters continue to be enjoyed by all children today. When publishing new print runs of books written years ago, it’s not unusual to review the language used alongside updating other details including a book’s cover and page layout. Fox,” adapted as an animated film by Wes Anderson with a voice cast of George Clooney and Meryl Streep in 2009, has also been edited to “enormous.” Fox” to just Bunce.

The decision to revise some of Roald Dahl's classic children's books to make them more inclusive was met with widespread condemnation over the weekend.

[CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/) "As for me, I’ll be carefully stowing away my old, original copies of Dahl’s stories, so that one day my children can enjoy them in their full, nasty, colorful glory." [told the ](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/censoring-roald-dahl-is-like-mccarthyism-says-brian-cox-q0rkx8g9s) [Times of London](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/censoring-roald-dahl-is-like-mccarthyism-says-brian-cox-q0rkx8g9s) in a radio interview. We have to acknowledge our history." It's disgraceful." Critics of Dahl, who remained a vocal anti-Semite until his death in 1990, have argued that some of his works are bigoted.

Amid row over editing of language deemed offensive, Pullman says people should read the 'wonderful authors who are writing today'

For example, in The Twits, Mrs Twit is no longer “ugly and beastly” but just “beastly”. [hiring sensitivity readers to go over Dahl’s text ](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/feb/18/roald-dahl-books-rewritten-to-remove-language-deemed-offensive)to make sure the books “can continue to be enjoyed by all today”. For a young author now coming in, who hasn’t got the clout and the commercial power of someone like Roald Dahl, it’s quite hard to resist the nudging towards saying this or not saying that, which is a pity, I think.”

The British publisher of Roald Dahl's classic children's books removed colorful language from works such as “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and ...

A review of new editions of Roald Dahl's books shows that some passages relating to weight, gender and race were altered - and some don't agree.

"When publishing new print runs of books written years ago, it's not unusual to review the language used alongside updating other details, including a book's cover and page layout,'' the company said. Dahl died in 1990 at the age of 74. [He was attacked and seriously injured last year](https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/books/2022/08/12/salman-rushdie-the-satanic-verses-author-attacked/10308086002/) at an event in New York state. [Booker Prize-winning author Salman Rushdie](https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/books/2022/08/12/who-is-salman-rushdie/10308625002/) was among those who reacted angrily to the rewriting of Dahl's words. "As for me, I'll be carefully stowing away my old, original copies of Dahl's stories, so that one day my children can enjoy them in their full, nasty, colorful glory." Any changes were "small and carefully considered," the company said. Critics complain revisions to suit 21st century sensibilities risks undermining the genius of great artists and preventing readers from confronting the world as it is. The changes made by Puffin Books, a division of Penguin Random House, [What are the most banned books and why?](https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/books/2022/06/29/banned-books-explained/7772046001/) Fox." [Netflix bought the Roald Dahl Story Company](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/netflix-acquires-iconic-roald-dahl-story-company) and embarked on plans to produce a new generation of films based on the author's books. [Roald Dahl's](https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2016/09/13/roald-dahl-day-100th-birthday-10-best-quotes/90295894/) classic children's books of censorship after it removed colorful language from works such as ["Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"](https://www.usatoday.com/story/popcandy/2014/04/01/roald-dahl/7164843/) and ["Matilda"](https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2016/08/02/matilda-movie-anniversary/87953412/) to make them more acceptable to modern readers.

'Sensitivity readers' helping to scrub children's classics of any non-inclusive, non-diverse verbiage.

This is another occasion for me to remind you to buy hard copies of the books you love the most. This therapeutic totalitarianism is not going to end any time soon. If I am offended by Roald Dahl's calling Augustus Gloop fat, then I am welcome to not read the damn book. Hundreds of changes were made to the original text – and some passages not written by Dahl have been added. Augustus Gloop in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is now described as “enormous”. If there is one profession in the world that should not exist, it's "sensitivity reader."

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak joined criticism of changes to Roald Dahl's children's books after a series of edits by their publisher led to a debate over when ...

Critics accused the publisher of Roald Dahl's classic children's books of censorship after it removed language from works such as "Matilda."

The language was reviewed in partnership with Inclusive Minds, a collective which is working to make children's literature more inclusive and accessible. Dahl died in 1990 at the age of 74. "Puffin Books and the Dahl estate should be ashamed.'' Critics complain revisions to suit 21st century sensibilities risks undermining the genius of great artists and preventing readers from confronting the world as it is. Augustus Gloop, Charlie's gluttonous antagonist in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," which originally was published in 1964, is no longer "enormously fat," just "enormous." A review of new editions of Dahl's books now available in bookstores shows that some passages relating to weight, mental health, gender and race were altered.

Famous works including “The Twits” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” have been adjusted.

Twit is simply “beastly” instead of “ugly and beastly,” as Dahl wrote in 1980. This is not the first time Dahl has been embroiled in controversy after his passing. “Those prejudiced remarks are incomprehensible to us and stand in marked contrast to the man we knew and to the values at the heart of Roald Dahl's stories, which have positively impacted young people for generations,” the company wrote on its website. Fox, to make them more inclusive, but some authors and critics have labeled the edits a form of censorship—here’s what to know about the revisions. [tweeted](https://twitter.com/SalmanRushdie/status/1627075835525210113?s=20) Dahl “was no angel but this is absurd censorship,” and said his estate should be “ashamed,” [calling](https://twitter.com/SalmanRushdie/status/1627375615165755392?s=20) those who edited Dahl’s writing “the bowdlerizing Sensitivity Police.” [reported](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/02/17/roald-dahl-books-rewritten-offensive-matilda-witches-twits/) that “hundreds” of words in Dahl’s books had been changed; the character Augustus Gloop from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is now described as “enormous,” instead of “enormously fat,” as he was in the original 1964 version, and in The Twits, Mrs.

New editions of the best-selling author's children's classics, including “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” have been altered to eliminate words deemed ...

While noting that it did not “write, edit or rewrite texts,” the group said that it had helped “provide valuable input when it comes to reviewing language that can be damaging and perpetuate harmful stereotypes.” “Our guiding principle throughout has been to maintain the story lines, characters, and the irreverence and sharp-edged spirit of the original text.” A review of the author’s works began in 2020, before [Netflix acquired the Roald Dahl Story Company](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/netflix-acquires-iconic-roald-dahl-story-company), which manages the author’s copyrights and trademarks, Rick Behari, a company spokesman, said in a statement on Monday. “I never get any protests from children,” Mr. “What are you going to do about them? But they remain widely read and are regularly reimagined for the silver screen. “When publishing new print runs of books written years ago, it’s not unusual to review the language used alongside updating other details including a book’s cover and page layout,” Mr. “All you get are giggles of mirth and squirms of delight. The books’ publisher, Puffin Books, and the author’s estate did not immediately respond to questions about the nature of the changes. Behari said that the estate had partnered with Inclusive Minds, an organization that champions diversity and accessibility in children’s literature. In a statement on Monday, the group declined to discuss the Dahl project specifically. The changes have prompted widespread criticism from prominent literary figures and others, including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain.

The news that changes have been made to the works of best-selling children's author Roald Dahl has been met with anger from leading writers, ...

While he did not express support for the changes, he told BBC Radio 4's "Today" show on Monday that Dahl's books should be left to "fade away." Following the release of his 1988 novel "The Satanic Verses," the then-Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for the his death. When publishing new print runs of books written years ago, it's not unusual to review the language used alongside updating other details including a book's cover and page layout. In a lengthy report published on Saturday, British newspaper The Daily Telegraph revealed that it had found hundreds of changes across the author's many children's books. It has now emerged that current editions of his books, published by Puffin, feature the following wording at the bottom of the copyright page: "Words matter. Fox, Willy Wonka and the Twits.

Critics are accusing the British publisher of Roald Dahl's classic children's books of censorship after it removed colorful language from works such as ...

“When publishing new print runs of books written years ago, it’s not unusual to review the language used alongside updating other details, including a book’s cover and page layout,’’ the company said. Dahl died in 1990 at the age of 74. Any changes were “small and carefully considered,” the company said. Critics complain revisions to suit 21st century sensibilities risks undermining the genius of great artists and preventing readers from confronting the world as it is. A review of new editions of Dahl’s books now available in bookstores shows that some passages relating to weight, mental health, gender and race were altered. Fox.” The machines are now simply “murderous, brutal-looking monsters.”

Author Roald Dahl autographing books in Dun Laoghaire shopping centre, Oct. 22, 1988. Independent News and Media—Getty Images. By Armani Syed.

These edits include the Cloud-Men in James and the Giant Peach becoming Cloud-People, while in The Witches, the use of “old hags” has been replaced with “old crows.” “You start out wanting to replace a word here and a word there, and end up inserting entirely new ideas.” Instead, she suggests, publishers should include introductions to works with offensive language to prepare readers with context. [who died](https://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/24/obituaries/roald-dahl-writer-74-is-dead-best-sellers-enchanted-children.html) at age 74, had a history of making anti-Semitic comments and including [racist](http://bbc.com/culture/article/20160912-the-dark-side-of-roald-dahl) tropes and language in his works. Puffin Books and the Dahl estate should be ashamed.’’ In Matilda, a mention of the English novelist Rudyard Kipling has also been replaced with Jane Austen. In The Witches, Dahl had written, “You can’t go round pulling the hair of every lady you meet, even if she is wearing gloves. The idea was rejected on the grounds that he was “associated with anti-Semitism and not regarded as an author of the highest reputation.” “We hope that, just as he did at his best, at his absolute worst, Roald Dahl can help remind us of the lasting impact of words.” “He may have been a great children’s writer but he was also a racist and this should be remembered,” she said. But in the years since Dahl’s death in 1990, some have turned their focus to a number of harmful tropes used by the late British author, including a history of Puffin Books, a children’s imprint of Penguin Books, worked with the Roald Dahl Story Company (RDSC), which is now exclusively owned by Netflix, to review the texts. The organization told TIME they “do not write, edit, or rewrite texts, but provide book creators with valuable insight from people with the relevant lived experience that they can take into consideration in the wider process of writing and editing.”