After a barrage of criticism for making hundreds of changes to the works of Roald Dahl, the British publisher of his books has relented, agreeing to publish Dahl’s classic texts side by side with the new, edited versions.
The language edited was specifically related to weight, mental health, race, and gender. The changes led prominent authors and editors like Salman Rushdie to condemn the move.
“The Roald Dahl Classic Collection will sit alongside the newly released Puffin Roald Dahl books for young readers, which are designed for children who may be navigating written content independently for the first time,” read the publisher’s statement, which was released Friday.
“Readers will be free to choose which version of Dahl's stories they prefer,” the statement continued.
The Classic Collection will be published under the Penguin logo. Puffin is a subsidiary of Penguin Random House.
Francesca Dow, managing director of Penguin Random House Children's, explained that leadership had listened carefully to the debate before responding.
"Roald Dahl's fantastic books are often the first stories young children will read independently, and taking care for the imaginations and fast-developing minds of young readers is both a privilege and a responsibility,” Dow explained.
"We also recognise the importance of keeping Dahl's classic texts in print. By making both Puffin and Penguin versions available, we are offering readers the choice to decide how they experience Roald Dahl's magical, marvellous stories,” she concluded.
The move came soon after after Camilla, queen consort of the United Kingdom, was the latest to express disapproval of the rewrites.
In public remarks widely interpreted as weighing in on the debate, Camilla said to authors: “Please remain true to your calling, unimpeded by those who may wish to curb the freedom of your expression or impose limits on your imagination.”
“Enough said,” the queen consort explained to the audience’s laughs.
Even U.K. prime minister Rishi Sunak expressed a position on the controversy earlier this week, with a spokesman saying "when it comes to our rich and varied literary heritage, [Sunak] agrees with The BFG that we shouldn't gobblefunk around with words."
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