The language used in the work of writer Roald Dahl has been changed to remove anything that my be deemed offensive. The publisher of Dahl’s work, Puffin books has removed words like “fat” to describe characters and gender neutral terms are also now being used.
The changes which were first reported by the Telegraph have been met with scrutiny. Author Salman Rushdie branded the move 'absurd censorship', with even the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemning the changes by saying works of fiction should be "preserved and not airbrushed".
Roald Dahl’s Story Company say they have worked closely to bring inclusion and accessibility to children’s literature with a collective called Inclusive Minds and say that every change was ‘carefully considered’.
How have some of the changes been made?
In perhaps Dahl’s most famous piece of work, James and the Giant Peach, The Centipede sings, “Aunt Sponge was terrifically fat and tremendously flabby at that,” and also sings “Aunt Spiker was thin as a wire, and dry as a bone, only drier.”
These lines have been changed to: “Aunt Sponge was a nasty old brute, and deserved to be squashed by the fruit."
In 'The Witches’ at the end of a passage that reveals that the witches are bald underneath their wigs has been changed to say, “There are plenty of other reasons why women might wear wigs and there is certainly nothing wrong with that.”
References to 'female' characters are also removed and instead they are referred to as a woman. One example is Ms Trunchbull from Matilda. In the older texts, she was described as a 'most formidable female' but the new texts will say she is a 'formidable woman'.
Gender neutral language is also being used to describe people in Dahl’s texts. In James and the Giant Peach the Cloud-Men are referred to as the Cloud-People and the iconic Oompa-Loompa’s from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory who were once described as small men will now be known as small people.
A spokesperson for the Roald Dahl Story Company said: “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.
"Our guiding principle throughout has been to maintain the storylines, characters, and the irreverence and sharp-edged spirit of the original text.
"Any changes made have been small and carefully considered.”
READ NEXT:
- MoneySavingExpert reveals thousands of people due tax refund within weeks
- Huge 90s music festival featuring Bewitched, Liberty X and Five heading to Manchester
- Marks and Spencer shoppers say £5 laundry liquid smells SO expensive people think they're wearing £150 perfume
- 'We have twins but my partner persuaded me to have one more - then we got a surprise'
- The fifteen baby and children's names that haven't gone out of style - with only two girls' names making the cut
