‘Absurd censorship’: move to cut potentially offensive words from Roald Dahl children’s classics slammed

Authors, politicians and free speech watchdogs alike are slamming sweeping changes to children’s classics like Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as “absurd censorship”.

The latest editions of Roald Dahl’s children’s books have been edited to remove language which could be deemed offensive. Hundreds of references within the classic children’s books relating to weight, mental health, violence, gender and race have been cut and rewritten, the Daily Telegraph reported.

The Roald Dahl Story Company confirmed it began a review into the books alongside publishers Puffin in 2020, and that any changes made were “small and carefully considered”. The company worked with sensitivity readers to decide on the changes.

Edits reportedly include removing the word “fat” from every book - with Augustus Gloop in Charlie And The Chocolate Factory is now described as “enormous” - while the Oompa Loompas are no longer “small men,” but “small people”.

Mrs Twit, of the famously unpleasant on the eye Twits, has become “beastly” rather than "ugly and beastly", while references to colours have also been changed. The BFG’s coat is no longer black, while Mary in The BFG now goes "still as a statue" instead of "white as a sheet", the BBC reports.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also waded into the debate, with his official spokesperson telling The Guardian: “When it comes to our rich and varied literary heritage, the prime minister agrees with the BFG that we shouldn’t gobblefunk around with words. I think it’s important that works of literature and works of fiction are preserved and not airbrushed. We have always defended the right to free speech and expression.”

The literary community has been quick to comment on the changes. Suzanne Nossel - chief executive of literary free speech watchdog PEN America - said she was “alarmed” to learn about the changes, in what looked like “a purported effort to scrub the books of that which might offend someone”.

“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 said.

Author Salman Rushdie Tweeted that while Dahl was “no angel”, this was “absurd censorship”. “Puffin Books and the Dahl estate should be ashamed,” he said.

Fellow children’s writer Philip Pullman, author of His Dark Materials, told BBC Radio 4 that Dahl’s books "should be allowed to fade away" rather than be changed if they are deemed offensive. “Let him go out of print,” he said. “Read all of these wonderful authors who are writing today, who don’t get as much of a look-in because of the massive commercial gravity of people like Roald Dahl.”

Dahl’s work was not at risk of disappearing overnight, he said. “Dahl can look after himself. I hadn’t read his books for very many years and I don’t want to again.”

Dahl died in 1990 at the age of 74 but still regularly tops lists of the nation’s favourite authors, and his stories continue to be beloved by children around the world.

However, this is not the first time he has come under scrutiny as in 2020, Dahl’s family apologised for antisemitic comments made by the author.