Publisher Penguin Random House announced Friday that Puffin UK, its British subsidiary, will launch the original collection of Roald Dahl's children's novels later this year "to keep the author's classic texts in print" following criticism of the edited version of the novels. by the writer with modifications to remove potentially offensive language.
Puffin UK caused controversy in the UK by recently confirming that it had carried out a review of the books of the popular and beloved children's author, who died in 1990, to ensure that his books were suitable "for the enjoyment of all minors".
In this way, in titles such as Charlie, the Chocolate Factory or Bruges, references considered controversial regarding the weight or physical appearance of the characters were suppressed (eradicating adjectives such as "fat" or "ugly"), mental health, violence, gender and race.
Alongside the retouched editions, Puffin UK clarified in its announcement on Friday that the 17 original (unretouched) titles in the Dahl collection will be available later this year under the title "Roald Dahl Classic Collection". The classic collection will stand side by side with the recently published new version of Roald Dahl's books with parts rewritten or modified to avoid offending the sensibilities of today's audiences. In this way, readers will be able to "choose which version of Dahl's stories they prefer."
The Roald Dahl Story Company, which controls the rights to the books, said it had worked with Puffin to revise the texts because they wanted to make sure that "all children today continue to enjoy Dahl's wonderful stories and characters." . While tweaking old books to fit modern sensibilities is not a new phenomenon in publishing, the scale of the edits drew strong criticism from free-speech groups like the writers' organization PEN America and from authors like Salman Rushdie.
The controversy over the retouching of these books escalated to the point that last Monday, from Downing Street, the office and official residence of the British Prime Minister, an official spokesman for Rishi Sunak defended that it was "important that works of literature and works of fiction are preserved and not published". The official source stressed that the Executive "always" have "defended the right to free speech and expression."
Although Dahl died in 1990 at the age of 74, he has regularly ranked among the nation's favorite authors. But he is also a controversial figure due to the anti-Semitic comments he made throughout his life. His family apologized in 2020. In 2021, Dahl's estate sold the rights to the books to Netflix, which plans to produce a new generation of movies based on the stories.
Francesca Dow, managing director of Penguin Random House Children's, the parent company of Puffin UK, said in a statement today that Puffin has "proudly published Roald Dahl stories for over 40 years in collaboration with the Roald Dahl Story Company" and noted that "his mischievous spirit and unique way of storytelling have enchanted the imaginations of readers for many generations."
Dow indicated that the publisher has "listened to the debate" generated in the last week "that reaffirms the extraordinary power of Roald Dahl's books" and on the questions that they raise "how stories from another era can continue to be relevant for each new generation". .
"As a children's publisher, our role is to share the magic of stories with children with the greatest care and consideration," he added while acknowledging "the importance of keeping Dahl's classic texts in print," he observed. "By keeping both the Puffin and Penguin versions available, we give readers the choice to decide how they experience Roald Dahl's wonderful and magical stories," she said.
