“It could have been called Ten Little Dolls , that wouldn't have changed the story. This title comes from a rhyme and has no racist connotations from the pen of Agatha Christie, ”insists Anne Martinetti, author of five books on the British writer. The French version of "Dix petits nègres", one of the most famous thrillers in the world, will henceforth be renamed "They were ten".
A decision emanating from James Prichard, the great-grandson of the novelist, at the head of Agatha Christed Limited, the company that owns the literary rights of the British writer. The 74 occurrences of the term "negro" are replaced by that of "soldier". France is one of the last countries to apply this revision of the text, translated into 68 languages and sold more than 100 million copies worldwide.
Published in the United Kingdom in 1939, the book was renamed "There was none left" the following year in the United States. Title that Agatha Christie had chosen for the theatrical version of her text. In England, the novel changed its name in the 1980s.
Commercial tactics
The great-grandson justified this choice by stressing that his great-grandmother "would not have liked the idea that someone is hurt by his turns of phrase". “When the book was written, the language was different. Agatha Christie was above all there to entertain, ”he explained on RTL.
For their part, the Masque editions indicated "to align with all other international translations". Exchanges would have taken place several months ago with James Prichard and this change would have no connection with the controversy of "Gone with the Wind", a work deemed complacent with slavery. "The release of the new edition and the series, broadcast on M 6 soon, was to be joint before the summer but the Covid has led to delays", specifies the editor.
Old versions will not be removed from libraries. "No reader has criticized this title before and it had no negative impact on sales," said another editor.
“By changing the title, James Prichard knows that he has registered his great-grandmother in the Pantheon of authors. The book Stormwind Heights has had five or six different titles. Some literary courses deal only with this aspect. This brings the work up to date and it is commercially smart, decrypts Anne Martinetti. James Prichard takes her out of a problematic context to push her towards the future. "
"Agatha Christie was neither anti-Semitic nor racist, leftist at worst"
However, this revision of the text is not unanimous. “As George Orwell predicted in 1984 , we are rewriting the past,” commented columnist Eric Naulleau. I have only seen this approach in totalitarian countries. That we no longer use the word negro today , that goes without saying, but we must accept that works reflect the prejudices of the time. Otherwise, it's endless. "
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The journalist and anti-racist activist Rokhaya Diallo welcomes the removal of a "racist word" from a cover. "It is an insult in the dictionary of the French Academy which dates from 1776. It designated a black slave. Those who cry out for censorship fight more for conservatism than for the work, ”she said.
Other passages of Agatha Christie required some modification in previous reissues, notably those mentioning Jewish bankers. "Annotations had been added to clarify the social connotations of the time," says Anne Martinetti, who adds: "Agatha Christie was neither anti-Semitic nor racist but a pioneer in love with freedom in all fields. His criminals were well behaved Englishmen with cufflinks. At worst, she can be called a leftist. "