Rishi Sunak, the prime minister of India, has criticized alterations made to Roald Dahl’s works after the removal of references to character appearance and weight ignited a heated debate.
The estate and publisher of Roald Dahl stated that his works, such as The BFG and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, had been revised to make them more suitable for contemporary audiences.
Some expressed approval of the modifications.
However, Mr. Sunak’s spokesperson stated that fictional works should be “preserved and not retouched.”
The prime minister agrees with the BFG that we should not gobble funk with our rich literary heritage.
Among those who have spoken out against the alterations is the author Sir Salman Rushdie.
“Roald Dahl was no angel, but this is preposterous censorship,” tweeted the author of Midnight’s Children and Satanic Verses. The Dahl estate and Puffin Books should be embarrassed.
The Roald Dahl Story Company has stated that any changes resulting from its review procedure, which has been ongoing since 2020, were “minor and meticulously considered.”
The author of His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman, stated that if Roald Dahl’s books are deemed objectionable, they “should be allowed to fade away” instead of being altered.
Pullman stated, “If Dahl offends us, let him go out of print.” “Read all these [other] amazing authors who are writing today, who don’t receive as much attention due to the enormous commercial gravity of authors like Roald Dahl.”
However, poet and author Debjani Chatterjee believes it is “excellent” that publishers are evaluating his work.
She stated, “I believe it was handled with sensitivity. Consider the term “fat.” They’ve used the term “huge.” I believe that ‘enormous’ is even amusing.”
A tribute or the removal of the spirit?
Author of children’s literature John Dougherty stated, “There’s no reason why the BFG shouldn’t wear a black cloak. That just seems preposterous.
“And Augustus Gloop, for example, the entire premise of the character is that he is morbidly obese because he won’t stop consuming; he’s greedy.
Dougherty continued, “There may be an argument that this is objectionable in today’s society.” “If you’re going to make that decision, I believe the only solution is to take the book out of publication. I don’t believe you can say, “Let’s alter Dahl’s words while maintaining the character.”
Ex-teacher Kate Clanchy, who revised her memoir after receiving criticism for certain details, stated that children’s books should be handled with special care.
“Augustus Gloop is a rapacious individual. He will continue to be morally greedy and his moral greed will be wrong, regardless of the number of allusions to his weight, which I believe can be upsetting, she told 5 Live.
We have always revised children’s literature. It is a tribute to the transformation of these works into legends that we have revised them once more.”
Laura Hackett, the deputy literary editor of the Sunday Times, stated that she would continue to read her children the original editions of Roald Dahl’s books in “their full, vile, and colorful glory.”
“I believe the venom is what makes Dahl so entertaining,” she told 5 Live. “Children love Matilda’s Bruce Bogtrotter eating the whole chocolate cake or being bound in the Chokey torture device.”
“Removing all references to violence or anything that is not clean, nice, and friendly eliminates the essence of these tales.”
“Enjoyed today by all pupils”
After being reviewed by sensitive readers, who check for potentially objectionable material, the books have been revised.
The Roald Dahl Story Company worked with Puffin and Inclusive Minds, which supports inclusive children’s literature.
A spokesperson for the Roald Dahl Story Company stated that the company intended to “ensure that Roald Dahl’s wonderful stories and characters are enjoyed by all children today.”
“When publishing new print runs of books written years ago, it is common to evaluate the language used in addition to updating other details, such as a book’s cover and page layout,” it stated.
It added, “Our guiding principle throughout has been to maintain the original text’s narratives, characters, irreverence, and sharpness.”
Dahl, who died at 74 in 1990, is one of Britain’s most famous children’s writers. In 2021, Netflix acquired the rights to his works.
However, antisemitic remarks made throughout his life rendered Dahl a problematic figure.
In 2020, his family issued an apology, acknowledging the “enduring and comprehensible pain” caused by Roald Dahl’s antisemitic remarks.
