Even the Queen Consort has gotten involved: Faced with an outcry in the UK over the rewriting of Roald Dahl's books to remove terms deemed offensive, his UK publisher announced on Friday that it will continue to publish the original versions in a special collection.
Puffin UK will publish the 17 relevant books by the famous children's writer (1916-1990) later this year "
to keep the author's classic texts in circulation
" alongside their new versions, aimed "
at children who might to be confronted with these writings for the first time
”.
Large number of modified terms
The case was revealed last week by the conservative
Daily Telegraph
.
The rights holders have undertaken to smooth the language of all the children's novels by the author of "
James and the Big Peach
", "
Matilda
" and "
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
" adored by several generations, but who has been denounced in particular for anti-Semitic remarks.
The number of modified terms is vast, touching on issues considered sensitive: race and ethnicity, gender, weight, physical appearance, mental health, violence, etc.
An “ enormously big
”
character has become “
enormous
”.
“
A crazy thing
” has become “
a weird thing
”.
Read alsoRoald Dahl rewrites: when will the censorship of the Trotro donkey and Little Brown Bear be censored?
In a statement, Puffin UK said on Friday it wanted to "
give readers a choice
" after "
listening to the debate, which reaffirmed the extraordinary power of Roald Dahl's books and the very real questions about how the stories of a another era can remain relevant for each new generation
.
"
Roald Dahl's fantasy books are often the first stories young children read independently and nurturing young readers' developing imaginations and minds is both a privilege and a responsibility,"
said nevertheless pleaded the publisher.
No rewriting in France
In France, the publisher Gallimard Jeunesse assured that a rewrite was not in the news.
The modification of the books provoked many indignant reactions in the literary and political world, in a context of culture wars.
Salman Rushdie denounced "
absurd censorship
" and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he preferred the words to be "
preserved
" rather than "
retouched
".
At a reception on Thursday, Queen Consort Camilla called on writers not to be intimidated by "
those who want to restrict your freedom of expression or impose limits on your imagination
", adding while rolling her eyes and smiling "
It's all been said
".
These remarks were widely interpreted as a criticism of the rewriting of Roald Dahl's books.
Roald Dahl Story Company now belongs to a cultural giant, the American platform Netflix, known for its preference for so-called “
inclusive
” fiction.
The company assured Friday that it had been "
deeply touched by the strength of the feelings
" expressed since the announcement of its decision to review the texts.
"
The most important thing for us is that everyone can enjoy these stories
," she insisted in a press release, welcoming the choice to offer two versions.
